


For Want of a Snail

by KilannaD



Series: Chronicles of the Snail [1]
Category: Zero Escape (Video Games), Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Cannibalism, F/M, Fix It, For Want of a Nail, Gen, I'm assuming you've played the game if you're reading this, Multi, Multiple Timelines, No Delta, No Diana, No Q, Phi is NOT Sigma's daughter, Phi is def not Sigma's daughter, Spoilers, Violence, ZTD Rewrite, for all the games, no beta we die like men, no sean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:06:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24754447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KilannaD/pseuds/KilannaD
Summary: Eight people signed up for the Dcom Experiment: two time travelers, three espers, a serial killer and her boyfriend, and a blind guy who just wanted to find his sister.Nine people end up in a bomb shelter fifty-feet below ground, stuck in a deadly game that looks awfully familiar to a lot of them.With decisions forced upon them, they all need to figure out who is behind the mask before it's too late.
Relationships: Eric/Mira (Zero Escape), Kurashiki Akane/Tenmyouji Junpei, Mira/Left (Zero Escape), Sigma Klim/Phi, pre Carlos/Kurashiki Akane/Tenmyouji Junpei
Series: Chronicles of the Snail [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1802983
Comments: 64
Kudos: 29





	1. Coin Toss

**Author's Note:**

> HELLLOOOO PEOPLE OF THE WORLD. Brought to you today, I give you: a fix it!  
> I have so many problems with ZTD. (Don't get me wrong, I love the game, just like I love the series. But this, so many problems.) The first of which you can probably tell by the tags because I REFUSE to accept that Phi is Sigma's daughter. Just NO. They are soulmates and perfect for each other and you can pry the ship out of my cold dead hands. But back on track.  
> SO MANY SPOILERS  
> Delta never made sense to me. (And Mind Hacking??? Really??!) So, when I looked at ZTD and got rid of him, that obviously meant that Sean, who was only there because Delta had a connection to real Sean, and Diana, who's only plot purpose was to serve as the creepiest most unhealthy pairing with Sigma and birth Delta, both had to go. Development promised us in his Q&A that we would get answers for Left/Brother/Free the Soul, Santa, Snake, Ace, and while it's officially not canon, the secret ending with ? implied more Kyle as well. Now, I couldn't manage all of them, obviously, but I used the ones I could and answered the questions surrounding them. Well, some of them.  
> I had a lot of other problems with the game though. Like aliens. And Akane's entire characterization. And Eric existing. And the epilogues. Basically, I got rid of Delta and stared at the plotholes and fixed them based on new Zero.  
> Speaking of new Zero: Okay, originally I had a pls no spoiler comment here, but now that this has been posted and finished, I'm stopping moderating comments. In the comments of the last few chapters after Zero is revealed they are name dropped and just generally spoiled, so I would suggest not reading comments of the chapters before reading the chapters themselves.  
> I've changed Carlos's age from 28 to 25 and the times marked are the times shown on the bracelets at that time. I'm not even bothering pretending we don't know they're up at different times.  
> tl;dr: Phi is NOT Sigma's daughter, Delta doesn't exist, there ARE spoilers in the comments.  
> I skate over a lot of things that stayed the same as the game, so there isn't too much redundancy. If something goes against what's said in another game, it's for a reason.  
> Oh, ALSO this is already finished. I'm putting up the prologue and first two chapters at the same time and there's eight chapters + prologue and epilogue. I'll update every week or so, based on my mood and how much response I get to this.

# Prologue: Coin Toss

## Coincide: Nevada Desert-Dcom, 12/31/28 08:00

Carlos groaned, head pounding. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember why everything hurt so much. Had he gotten hurt evacuating a building? Wait, no. He’d been on his way to see-

He’d been at Dcom. He’d said goodnight on the 30 th and...

Cracking his eyes open revealed he remained in Dcom, though for some reason he was in the containment room. Junpei and Akane were behind him, the latter rattling the doors. In the cell to their left Light, Phi and Sigma were trapped, with Mira and Eric across from them. A stranger leaned against the wall with Eric and Mira though. A tall, blonde man, with long hair. He cradled his head so Carlos couldn’t get a good look at him.

“Who are you?”

“I don’t know. Anyone want to tell me where we are?” Carlos frowned at the rough voice. The guy sounded like he’d had it bad.

“Are you implying you have no memories?” Light asked though Phi and Sigma’s voices overpowered him.

“ _Dio_?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” The blonde guy only shook his head, lifting his face to reveal blue eyes squinting in confusion.

“Is Dio supposed to be my name?”

“More importantly,” Junpei drawled, “Shouldn’t we be trying to get out of here?”

Sigma snorted, though he never took his glare off of Dio. “Useless to try. These only open from the outside, which I’m sure you’d know about, _Myrmidon_.”

Dio threw his hands up. “Okay, seriously, what the fuck is your problem with me? Am I supposed to know you? ‘Cause, let me tell you, I’ve got shit all.”

Eric whirled to him, face twisted. “You did this, didn’t you!” Carlos felt his gut wrench at his expression, uncomfortable that someone confused and, possibly, amnesiac, was being ganged up on. Eric seemed like a nice guy a lot of the time, but every now and again he had a temper that made Carlos uncomfortable.

And while he never said it out loud, he’d always wondered why Mira stayed with him. Though...

“You think he’s the one who put these weird bracelets on us?” Carlos asked.

“Perhaps we should all calm down,” Light offered. Carlos noted that Light’s bracelet was on his right arm, instead of left like the rest of them. He wondered why. Light’s head tilted the next moment, a frown overtaking his features. “Someone’s coming. Be quiet.” Everyone stilled at his snap.

Carlos wondered how he’d heard the silent approach.

“Life is simply unfair, don’t you think?” Incredulous, Carlos couldn’t help staring at the man in front of him. He wore a full-length robe, an absurd wide-brim hat, and one of those plague masks that everyone in 7th-grade history made fun of. All in black. The baton did not inspire confidence either. Strangely, though, the edges of his clothes seemed soft. Faded. Not quite there.

“Sometimes,” the man continued, “A single snail can alter the course of history. It can doom all of humanity.” In the other confinement room, Phi made a considering sound.

“Doom... humanity?”

“And what does that have to do with us?” Light asked. “Why are we here?”

“I need you to play a game. The Nonary Game: Decision Edition.” He pulled out a coin, showing both sides to the gathered people. One was red, the other blue. He flipped it, but hid it with his foot after it landed silently. “Let’s start with this one. Hmm, Carlos, for this choice, I’ll let you speak for the group. If you guess correctly which side is facing up—blue or red—I’ll release all of you.”

“And if he gets it wrong?” Phi asked.

“Then the game continues. Well, Carlos? Red? Or Blue? The choice is yours.” In the background, voices echoed as suddenly everyone had something to say. Carlos found himself breathing deeply, trying to calm the blood rushing in his ears. Another choice, same as any other he’d faced during work. Carlos did not like what ‘game’ implied to a man who’d imprisoned nine people.

He had a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right, but this was a lot more than chance. He’d had other bad odds thrown at him, and he always trusted his gut. This time, his gut said-

“It’s blue.”

The guy stepped back, robes swishing to reveal-

A blue coin, with a crown engraved on it.

A beat of tense silence filled the room before everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

“Blue it is. I’m a fair person, so I shall release you. But, first-”

“Knew there’d be a catch,” Junpei groaned.

“-you must all sleep. Don’t worry, you won’t remember a thing when you awake.”

Before Carlos could respond, he felt a sharp pinch in his wrist under the bracelet. There were several thuds around him, but his vision spun and tilted, throwing the world into confusing shapes. He could just make out a dark blur disappearing silently before darkness consumed him.

* * *

## Payoff: Nevada Desert-Dcom, 12/31/28 12:05

Sigma picked himself up off the ground, groaning at the creaking in his bones. Around him, the other seven members of the Dcom experiment dusted themselves off, sand clinging to their clothes.

“What are we doing out here?” Carlos shrugged at Sigma’s question, reaching over to help Light up. 

“Are we outside of the Dcom facility?”

“Yeah, though I don’t have any idea why.”

“I feel like,” they turned to Akane, watching as she tapped her chin slowly. “Did we... make a bet?”

“I think I remember—a coin?” Phi offered equally hesitantly. “But why?”

They all fell silent, but no matter how hard Sigma concentrated, he couldn’t remember anything. Something blue? Maybe.

It had been easier remembering the bomb codes. Not a good sign.

“What do we do now?”

* * *

≪≪

## Coincide (2): Nevada Desert-Dcom, 12/31/28 08:05

“I need you to play a game. The Nonary Game: Decision Edition.” He pulled out a coin, showing both sides to the gathered people. One was red, the other blue. He flipped it, but hid it with his foot after it landed silently. “Let’s start with this one. Carlos, for this choice, I’ll let you speak for the group. If you guess correctly which side is facing up—blue or red—I’ll release all of you.”

“And if he gets it wrong?” Phi asked.

“Then the game continues. Well, Carlos? Red? Or Blue? The choice is yours.” In the background, voices echoed as suddenly everyone had something to say. Carlos found himself breathing deeply, trying to calm the blood rushing in his ears. Another choice, same as any other he’d faced during work. Carlos did not like what ‘game’ implied to a man who’d imprisoned nine people.

He had a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right, but this was a lot more than chance. He’d had other bad odds thrown at him, and he always trusted his gut. This time, his gut said-

“It’s red.”

A blue coin, with a crown engraved on it.

A beat of tense silence filled the room before everyone started yelling. But even with Eric screaming and Light cursing quietly to himself, Carlos could still make out Junpei’s voice.

“See, told you it was blue.” _Not the time_ , Carlos thought irritably.

When Mira finally asked what came next, the strange guy’s demeanor didn’t even change. “You lost, so the game continues. For now, it’s time to sleep. When next you wake, you’ll have no memories of this.”

Before Carlos could respond, he felt a sharp pinch in his wrist under the bracelet. There were several thuds around him, but his vision spun and tilted, throwing the world into confusing shapes. He could just make out a dark blur disappearing silently. He thought he heard words, soft and close.

“So the snail steps onto the path.”


	2. Circle of Fate

# Chapter 1: Circle of Fate

## C-Team Execution: Lounge, ‘12:00’

Carlos awoke slowly, becoming aware of his body in stages. First fingers, tingling and cold. Arms and legs next, all pins and needles burning as he moved them up. His head felt light and fluffy but was quickly overcome with sharp clarity as he woke better. When he finally managed to pull his eyes open, Akane and Junpei were already up and looking around.

“Where...?” Carlos didn’t finish the question, looking around instead. They were in some kind of open lounge area. All steel walls and grays, with red furniture and a walkway he couldn’t see a way to access.

“No idea,” Akane shook her head. Junpei was inspecting the bar, but he turned back towards them when the TVs scattered around the room turned on.

“Good morning,” a stranger said, dressed in the most ridiculous getup Carlos had ever seen. “How are you feeling?”

“Like crap,” Junpei muttered, joining Carlos and Akane in the middle of the room.

“I am Zero the second.” Carlos frowned at the unusual name, Junpei and Akane stiffening where they hovered in front of the TV. “First, in case you haven’t noticed, this is a recording. I won’t be answering questions.”

“I’m getting flashbacks,” Junpei rolled his head, eyes flickering to Akane. “What about you?”

“I would like to start by telling you all a story,” Zero continued. “Seventeen years ago, a woman went jogging in a park. She decided, however, to take a different path from her usual one. She passed a stranger, who walked that road daily. When the stranger asked why she came this way, she replied, ‘I saw a snail’.”

“How does that matter?” Akane asked.

“The woman died on that same day. Murdered on the unfamiliar path. Proof, wouldn’t you say, that a million small decisions can change ones’ life. Think of the choices that led you here, in a shelter fifty meters below ground. Perhaps you wouldn’t be playing the Nonary Game now.

“Look around you. You’ll see a large door with a 9 on it. It’s the only exit. It opens once, for only nine seconds. To open it, you require six I-Passes. One will be revealed every time someone dies.” Carlos held his breath, breathing it out slowly. The tension in his gut grew uncomfortably, leaving him tight and uneasy. He needed to get out of here—wherever here was—to see Maria. He’d promised her he’d always be there for her. And the implications of this...

“There are nine of you in this shelter, separated into three wards. Within Ward C, is Carlos, Akane, and Junpei, led by Carlos. S-Team, within Ward S, is Sigma, Phi, and Light, led by Sigma. Finally, L-Team within the final ward is Left, Eric, and Mira, led, of course, by Left. Behind you all, you’ll find a computer. The team leaders may use it to vote. Whatever team receives two or more votes will be executed. You have ninety minutes. At the end of the time frame, your bracelets will cause you to fall asleep and inject you with memory-erasing drugs. They double as watches.”

“Is this… real?” Akane asked, looking from Junpei—dark-eyed, jaw tense—to Carlos. Whatever expression Carlos had didn’t inspire Akane because she swallowed heavily and moved closer to the other two.

“Oh, and one last thing. If you choose not to vote, two votes will automatically be counted against your team. Welcome to the Nonary Game: Decision Edition. It’s time to choose.”

The TV cut out, leaving all of them standing in a tense quiet. With bile coating the back of his tongue, Carlos turned away sharply, beginning to scour the room. The others joined him silently, but in all of the rooms, they found no other exit, and little of interest besides a ‘Force Quit Box’ they needed a password for, and a sentence written in red on the far wall that claimed ‘ _Brother illustrates fated hot war_ ’. Whatever that meant.

“Okay, _enough_.” Carlos dropped his hand from his hair, turning towards Junpei’s snapped voice. “Clearly, there’s no way out. Which means we need to talk about how we’re going to vote.”

“Junpei!” Carlos took a few steps back, giving Akane her space as she whirled on Junpei. Carlos had thought they were together, considering the tension that appeared in any room they shared, but they’d never actually done anything during the days of Dcom together except yell and avoid each other in equal measures. “We are _not_ killing people. Not if we can avoid it.”

“Do you have another way out?” Junpei shot back. His face twisted into a smirk. Instead of a guy with a little dark humor, Junpei looked cruel, eyes glinting as he stared Akane down. “Maybe you’d like to explain to us what we’re doing here, Akane. Kidnapped and trapped, trying to get through the 9 Door. Sounds awfully like your M.O. Is Santa hanging around as well? We could have a reunion.”

“I don’t have anything to do with this!” Her voice sounded small when she continued, a strict dichotomy to her sharp yell. “Do you really think I want people to die? I thought you knew me better than _that_.”

“So did I,” Junpei murmured, but his voice flattened. “And then I was trapped in a ‘sinking ship’ for nine hours and three people ended up _dead_.”

“You know I had to close the time loop. Would you rather _I_ died?”

“Okay, whoa.” Carlos stepped forward, gently turning Akane away. When she turned back towards them, her face was clear, and her jaw clenched. Junpei took a lap around the room, grabbing a beer on his way back and collapsing down. “Look,” Carlos said slowly with a sigh, “I have no idea what just happened. But maybe we should all just take a breath.” They ended up sitting silently, Akane avoiding looking at them and Junpei downing his beer like the answers sat at the bottom. Carlos cast about for something to say, hoping to calm everyone so they could figure out why they were trapped.

“Who’s Zero?” he settled on, “I mean, why the name? Or the costume?”

A beat, before; “Well, Akane?”

“I don’t know.” They weren’t snapping at each other, at least. Just... staring over shoulders instead of looking at faces. So healthy. “Really. I came here because I heard something bad was going to happen, but I didn’t know what. I have no idea who Zero is this time.”

“This time?” Carlos asked. They knew something, but he didn’t want to push and shatter the delicate peace they’d found. “What do you mean?”

“A year ago,” Junpei offered, “Something called the ‘Nonary Game’ was held. The guy running it called himself Zero.”

“It happened ten years ago as well.” Akane looked at her lap, twisting her dress in her slim fingers. “Someone usually dies.”

“Okay, but that means this is probably connected, don’t you think? Same guy, maybe.”

“Not possible,” Junpei threw out. “If... if Akane is telling the truth-”

“I am.”

“-then the same person can’t be behind it. Besides, there were different guys in both games.” Junpei frowned. “But wait. This guy called himself ‘Zero the second’.”

“Yeah?”

“But there’s already _been_ two Zeros. So does he not know about the second Nonary Game?”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Akane pointed out. “Almost everyone involved in the first game was involved with the second game, even if only because someone _they_ knew was also in the game. There’s no way to know about only one of the games but not the other.”

“Not all eighteen of the children from the original game knew about the second.”

“Well, no, I guess. But, none of them really seem the type, you know?” Something passed over Junpei’s face, but he didn’t say anything in response. Tentatively, Carlos cleared his throat, hoping he could ask a question without anyone freaking out. They seemed calm, at least. 

“So, how do you guys know each other? From these Nonary Games?”

“We were childhood friends,” Akane said. “We haven’t seen each other since the last Nonary Game a year ago.”

“So you didn’t sign up for Dcom together?”

“No. Like I said, I had been told that something important and dangerous would happen here. As for Junpei...” she shrugged, but Junpei didn’t fill the silence with an answer. Akane continued. “What about you? Why did you join?”

“Needed the money. My sister is sick, and five hundred thousand could really help out.”

“Ah, a sister complex.” Junpei nodded, setting down the empty beer bottle with finality. Carlos didn’t bother denying it, because no matter how much he sometimes wished he could find something besides work to make him happy, Maria came first. They settled into the quiet, left wondering what to do next. Carlos became highly aware of the clock ticking down to the deadline they were given.

“We could split the votes,” Akane murmured, breaking the stilted silence.

“What?”

“If C-Team votes for S-Team, S-Team votes for L-Team-”

“And L-Team votes C-Team, no one would have two votes,” Carlos finished. “That could work.”

“But how to communicate it?” Junpei asked pointedly. “Morse code?”

Something clattered, and they hurried into the next room. They found Gab, the emotional support animal used for the experiment, climbing out of a vent.

“Do you think this connects to the other wards?” Akane wondered.

“Oh, I have an idea.” Carlos hurried over to where he’d found coasters and a marker earlier, scrawling their plan. When he returned, he rolled the coaster around Gab’s collar. He sent him into the vent, hoping he’d get to L-Team in time.

“Where’d you get the idea for that?” Akane asked as they made their way to the couch.

“I watched Barbie movies with Maria when she was a kid. They have creative problem-solving.” Junpei laughed, but Carlos just shrugged his shoulders. Akane bumped shoulders with him for a second, but she was grinning, so he knew she thought it was funny as well.

Several minutes passed as they all tried to relax, but the tension crept over them soon enough. The couch felt soft and plush under their fingers, a sharp reminder that they weren’t on the firm, tiny love seat that had been at Dcom. The air tasted stale and everything felt still, something building in the distance. Carlos hated every second of it. He didn’t want to have to vote, because if the other teams didn’t get the note, or worse, one of the other teams didn’t listen to the note, someone would be dead because of him. Three someones, that he knew and-

“Um, question?” He cleared his throat when his thoughts stumbled to a halt. A lot had been happening, admittedly, but he still felt pretty stupid for the question. “But, didn’t Zero say that leader of L-Team was someone named Left? Who exactly is that?” Junpei just shook his head, shrugging his slim shoulders.

“The Nonary Game always had nine players. Maybe Zero wanted to keep the theme?”

“Oh my God,” Akane gasped. “I can’t believe I didn’t connect it immediately.

“Connect what?” Carlos said. Akane opened and closed her mouth a few times before it snapped with a harsh click of her teeth. She shook her head, straight white teeth worrying at her lip. 

“Guys, we have three minutes until the voting deadline,” Junpei broke in. Akane jumped up, following when Junpei made his way to the terminal that’d been mentioned in the video. Carlos allowed the change in subject for the sake of priorities but made a mental note to bring this back up later.

“S-Team, right?” Before Carlos could touch the screen, Junpei put a hand on him. Turning, Carlos’s gut dropped at the considering face before him.

“We should vote L-Team.”

“ _What_?”

“Think about it, Carlos. If everyone got our note and listened to it, this could be our chance to get three I-Passes.”

“You mean our chance to _kill_ three people.”

“And if no one dies we’re going to be stuck in here forever!” Carlos leaned back from Junpei, something twisting and writhing inside of him. There had to be a way to get everyone out together, he would accept no other outcome.

Except if Junpei was right and six people _had_ to die, then that meant he would have to kill to get back to Maria. He couldn’t leave her all alone, not when she fought every day to get better. She deserved better. So did Akane and Junpei. Carlos liked them, thought they were good people. They didn’t deserve this. And there was no guarantee that the other teams had even seen his letter.

Akane remained quiet, staring at the screen blankly. Junpei had made his case. Carlos had a choice here. To turn on L-Team—and kill three people—or to vote S-Team and pray everyone obeyed the vote.

Carlos hit S-Team.

Carlos couldn’t hear Junpei’s yelling, but it petered off into quiet grumbles quickly enough. Buzzing filled his head. He might have just killed himself and two others.

“Congratulations,” Zero said from the TV. “You did exactly as I asked. I think you deserve a reward, so your memories won’t be erased. Sleep well.”

Carlos supposed it was time to pray.

* * *

## L-Team Execution: Lounge, ’12:00’

Mira woke all at once, information and senses slotting into place with sharp clarity. She didn’t recognize the room but cataloged it. Steel, dark colors, a strange box, and ‘ _Do I bind a man inanely?_ ’ painted on the wall.

Paint, not blood, she noted easily.

Eric woke quickly, but she didn’t bother focusing on him. She knew he wouldn’t care because that’s just how he was. More interestingly, a stranger had been passed out with them. Blonde hair pulled back, tall, slim, but with muscles hiding under his long crimson tailcoat. Very Victorian.

“Ugh.” He rose quickly when he woke up, glancing around confusedly. “Where the fuck?”

“Why don’t you tell us?” Eric snapped, pushing the guy back. “You’re the only one here we don’t know.”

Blondie rose a brow, sneering. “Unless someone else is hiding, we’re the _only_ ones here.” His face scrunched. Mira scanned the look and mentally marked it as confusion. The eyebrows gave it away. “Wait, do I know you two?”

“You have to ask?” Mira finally broke in. Something about this seemed unusual. Maybe the blue eyes scanning everything in the room, almost completely dismissing herself and Eric.

“I don’t... I don’t think I remember.”

“If you know us?”

He shook his head. “Anything.”

A buzz filled the air, and they all turned to watch ‘Zero’ as he spoke. Mira tried to catalog what a normal person would be feeling. Confusion? Fear?

She felt only a vague building in her gut. Excitement, she thought. This game, this situation, maybe she’d finally find what she’d been looking for this whole time.

“Left?” Blondie asked. “Is that my name?” Mira shrugged.

“What kind of name is that?” Left turned on Eric at the sneered words, stabbing him in the chest with a finger.

“Back the fuck off dude. I don’t know what’s your problem, but we have other shit to deal with here.”

“Like the fact that you’re the one who put us here!”

“Oh shut the fuck up. Do you even think? _I don’t remember anything._ How the hell would I have done this?”

“Boys,” Mira cut in softly, bored of the yelling. “Why don’t we look around.” They found nothing of interest, as Mira knew they would. Just the map, the box, and the words on the wall. Nothing they could do anything with. Except for the computer to vote with.

“Okay, so we vote.” Left shrugged. “Question becomes, who for?”

Mira considered the question and what she knew of the other teams. C-Team had Carlos, Junpei, and Akane on it. Of those three, only Junpei would unquestioningly do what had to be done to get out of here alive. (Mira liked Junpei. He reminded her a little of herself before she’d accepted that she had no heart.) Carlos, though, would try to figure out a way around it. A firefighter that didn’t want to take lives. Akane would help him, of course. She hated when anyone fought, Mira couldn’t imagine her having the stomach to kill six others.

Those two, Mira could never understand. Junpei would probably push them to vote L-Team, if only because Mira and Eric had no connection to them, unlike S-Team.

Sigma, Phi, and Light were the real wildcards. Light and Phi both kept calm heads. They’d think through all the angles and figure out what was best for them. Sigma would follow Phi’s lead. If they were smart, they’d figure out that C-Team was likely to vote for L-Team and would follow.

Which put L-Team at a significant disadvantage. 

“You’re kidding, right?” Eric burst out. “We can’t just...” he waved his arms around, but Mira had already begun talking.

“If we don’t vote, we get two votes counted against us. That’s a death sentence.” Eric fell silent, as she knew he would. He always listened to her, always agreed. 

Something clattered, and they all turned to find the emotional support animal coming through.

“Uh, is that a dog?” Mira disregarded Left, reaching instead for Gab. Something white was wrapped around his collar.

A note. She showed it to the others.

“So they want to tie the votes,” Left murmured. He scanned the note again before his eyes flicked to the door with a red 9. Beside it, two screens declared those dead and the corresponding I-Passes. At the moment, it was blank.

“I think I saw a marker by the bar,” Eric offered. “Don’t know how you want to respond though.”

“C-Team sent Gab through the vent,” Mira said. “There’s another vent on the other side of the building.”

“To S-Team.” Left snatched the marker from the counter, scrawled a response, and retied it to Gab. With the dog gone, they all returned to hanging around the computer.

“So we vote C-Team, right?”

“Well,” Left tilted his palms side to side. “That’s one option.”

“You thought of it too, huh?” Mira felt grudging respect for Left. Not many would have considered all their choices when an easy out had just been presented to them.

“Explain, please?” Mira rolled her head towards Eric, wondering again if her instincts were right and he’d be what she was looking for.

“C-Team could be using this as a trap to kill us. Or, alternatively, say that the other two teams listen to the note. In that case, we could use this to our advantage and vote S-Team, same as C-Team, and get rid of them.”

“W-why would we do that?!”

“Are you an idiot?” Left rolled his eyes. “To get I-Passes to get out of here. What do you think happens if we do nothing and refuse to let anyone die?”

“We get stuck here,” Eric whispered. “Forever.”

“Yeah.” Mira nodded her head towards Left. “So, what do we vote for?”

Left stared at the screen for a moment, letting his eyes flicker to the boards by the 9 Door again. Mira considered him closely, watching as with a single flick of his finger he voted.

The screen flashed with ‘C-Team’.

“And so the decision is made.” Mira turned from Eric’s yelling watching Zero’s message to them. So they’d remember this.

How curious.

* * *

## S-Team Execution: Lounge, ’12:00’

Sigma worried over Light’s still, sleeping body. Really, he did. But he could see his chest rising and falling, and Phi always looked so _small_ when she wasn’t snarking at him, so he went to her first when he woke up in an unfamiliar place. Her pulse felt steady, her breathing even. But Sigma couldn’t help the sharp thoughts of _is she sick, can I help?_ that only stopped when her storm silver eyes fluttered open.

“Ugh, I hate waking up to your face.” Yep, she’d be alright.

Her eyes scanned him quickly as she stood, but they danced away to the rest of the room when it was clear he wasn’t injured. Or in the wrong body. It didn’t take long for Light to wake up either.

“This room seems too large for Dcom.”

“It is,” Phi answered. “Seems to be a lounge of some sort. All steel walls, except for a huge door with a 9 on it.” Sigma met her eyes, feeling his stomach open into a pit. They finally found what went wrong in Dcom, it seemed. But why another Nonary Game?

“A _nine_?” Sigma winced at the restrained panic, but it disappeared quickly as it came. He sometimes forgot that this was Light ‘Snake’ Field, the man who participated in the first two Nonary Games with Akane. Over the years on the moon, Sigma had learned the whole story about what happened in 2018 and 2027. 

That almost made the heavy guilt for kidnapping his sister—the reason he signed up for Dcom—worse.

“Wh-” Phi cut herself off, turning abruptly as the TV came on. ‘Zero’ had a message for them, it seemed.

“ _Left_?!” Sigma couldn’t help but shout when the video ended. “Left is _here_?” Phi’s lips pressed into a hard line, but she swept away to search the bunker.

“Should I know who this ‘Left’ character is?”

“Just-” Sigma waved his hands, not that Light could see it. “He’s a bad guy. Not someone we want to be trapped in a death game with.”

“The likelihood of him being Zero is also high,” Phi threw in, as they circled back to the Lounge. “Hey, Sigma, what do you think of that?” Sigma followed her finger to the wall above the small basketball court. ‘ _When a curious hate oozes calamity_ ’ sat scrawled across the wall in familiar red paint.

“Another anagram, I’d guess.” He _hated_ anagrams. If he hadn’t already seen them written, no way would he have known what to paint in the Warehouses.

“Anagram?” Sigma read the sentence for Light, who frowned afterward. “What makes you think it’s an anagram?”

“We’ve seen something similar before.” Phi stared at the wall for another moment but turned away. “I’ll think on it.” There was nothing else they could use, except a red box they needed a password for.

“So this leaves the question of how do we vote,” Light began, as they all sat. “C-Team? Or L-Team?”

“L-Team,” Sigma responded immediately. “We can’t trust Left, and he’s the one that will have to vote.”

“But Mira and Eric are there as well,” Phi pointed out. “He can’t do anything too antagonistic without causing trouble.”

“Did Dio ever care if he caused trouble?” Phi tilted her head in grudging acceptance before Light broke in.

“Why is Left so untrustworthy, exactly?”

“You’ve heard of Free the Soul, right?” Light’s shoulders tensed as he turned to Sigma.

“And how would you know that?” Sigma winced at his blunder. Right, Light thought his sister and him were _secret_ agents for SOIS. A sister that was missing. Whom Sigma just happened to have had kidnapped for a super-secret plan to save the planet from destruction.

“We’re SHIFTers,” Phi explained. “We know about SOIS and Free the Soul.”

“SHIFTers?”

“Oh, right, I guess that term hasn’t been invented yet.” Sigma turned away from Phi’s half annoyed look, trying to look innocent. Not his fault he wouldn’t—or rather, the young Sigma wouldn’t—create the name for another decade. “It means ‘Spacetime Human Internal Fluctuating Transfer’. Basically, time travel.”

“Not _time travel_ ,” Sigma insisted, offended at the oversimplification. Damnit, he’d worked hard for forty-five years to understand the science behind what he could do. That shit was complicated. “Look, we know you know that you’re an esper. This is just the next step up. Instead of resonating with someone else in the _now_ and _here_ , you resonate with yourself from another history and time and then you switch with that version of yourself.” Light stayed silent for a moment, rolling that over in his head.

“So it’s connected to the multi-worlds theory.”

“Yes,” Phi said. “Exactly.” Sigma rolled his eyes at her ‘ _see, not everyone’s an idiot_ ’ look. He had been twenty-two during their Nonary Game. No need to hold it against him that he hadn’t been as smart as Phi, who, a few times, he thought might actually be a robot. What other explanation was there for being so good at anagrams?

“So when you claimed to be from the future,” Light wondered, “You were being serious?”

“Yes.” Sigma sat straighter, the weight of what they had to do slamming into him all over again. Six billion people would die if they failed here. “On December 31 st , 2028, a virus called Radical-6 escapes from the Dcom facility. It leads to the deaths of six billion people. We’re here to stop it.” Kyle should’ve been here to help as well, but he’d never shown up. Sigma had failed, clearly, at creating a clone with the ability to SHIFT. And none of the other options he’d developed had ever functioned.

Light paled but nodded slowly. “And Left has something to do with this?”

“We know that sometime around now, Brother starts creating clones of his dead brother. Left is what they’re named.”

“And if Free the Soul is responsible for Radical-6, that means Left must be behind this game.” Light paused, considering everything. “So how do we warn Mira and Eric?”

A clatter sounded behind them, and they all turned to find Gab.

“Well,” Phi muttered, “This brings new complications.”

“We could use Gab to send a message to Mira and Eric,” Light pointed out. “Warn them of the danger in Left.”

“That won’t work.” Sigma shook his head. “First, we don’t even know if Left wouldn’t intercept the message. And second-”

“-even if we did, who’s to say Mira and Eric would believe us?” Phi finished.

“Exactly.”

“So do we listen to the note? It could be a trap from Left.” Sigma frowned at the point, considering.

“Well, the only people’s handwriting I know enough to identify is Phi’s and Akane’s. This is obviously neither’s.”

“Not like I’m going to send a note to myself.” Phi rolled her eyes.

“Well, there’s two options here,” Light reasoned. “Either A: this is a trap by Left. The note is completely fake and is designed to let Left control where we vote, though I find that unlikely considering it’s telling us to vote for him. Or B: the note is real, sent by C-Team, and passed on by L-Team. Perhaps due to Mira and Eric.”

“You forgot option C: the note is really sent by C-Team, but it’s a _trap_ by C-Team to get rid of L-Team.” Sigma frowned at Phi, running through her words again. It made a dark sort of sense. Akane was on C-Team, and while Sigma trusted her, this wasn’t _his_ Akane. And he of all people knew how far she was willing to go to make things right. 

He knew what happened to Cradle Pharmaceuticals, after all.

“So who do we vote for?” Sigma finally asked. Phi watched him with calm eyes, before stepping out of the way and gesturing to the computer. It reminded him of the AB Games, all those times in all those histories.

“I’ll trust you to make that decision.” Light frowned at her words, but remained quiet.

Sigma didn’t trust Left, not when he knew he must be at fault for this game. But Akane... Akane would do whatever had to be done. She hated killing, hated death, but knew sometimes it was necessary. And if killing Left stopped the game...

Except killing Left meant killing Eric and Mira, and they were good people. Strange, admittedly, but good.

This was like the Ambidex Game all over again. Betray, or ally? Trust C-Team, or L-Team?

He pressed C-Team.

He turned to Phi, watching those cool eyes. They held no judgement, and he couldn’t even be surprised at her following words.

“Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.” _Not even Jupiter can find a lost opportunity._ The words were a familiar cadence after all these years. _Except we can_ , Sigma thought, remembering a conversation he’d had with Phi during the first day of Dcom. _Jupiter can’t change the past, but we_ can.

He fell asleep, trusting she’d be there when he woke up.

Phi always was. 

* * *

## C-Team Death: Infirmary, ’14:00’

Carlos shook Akane awake first, worry at her shallow breaths eating him alive. It didn’t matter though, and he couldn’t help thinking maybe it was cruel to wake her up for this.

They couldn’t get the collars off, no matter how hard they tried. And with Zero’s stupid voice, bouncing off the walls, Carlos felt his pulse quicken. He couldn’t die, couldn’t leave Maria alone.

He’d worried he had killed them with his vote, and it seemed he had been right. Carlos had always hoped the last voice he’d hear would be Maria’s, maybe even some future lover’s. Instead, all he had was incomprehensible Latin-

“Desine fata deum flecti sperare precando.”

-and the screams of two friends.

* * *

## L-Team Radical-6: Biolab, ’18:10’

They found themselves in the Biolab, with only themselves and a dead pig to keep them company. No matter how many times Left kicked and screamed and pulled, the door wouldn’t open. Unsurprising, considering what Zero had told them in the lounge. They had to play this game, and this was a part of it.

The question became _why_? A psychological experiment? A part of Dcom that they just weren’t told about? Or something else? Mira would think it had something to do with Dcom, considering all eight (nine, including Gab) of the participants were taken, except that didn’t explain Left. Who was he, and—more importantly—did he really not remember anything? She’d heard about amnesia, and how it could leave behind the personality and basic information and nothing else, but it’d always seemed very strange to her. What decided what was remembered and what disappeared? Perhaps Eric had the right of it, and Left had put them here. Though why would he join, in that case? There were too many questions and not enough information.

Mira loved it.

She could feel her mind twisting, reaching for puzzle pieces that just weren’t there. Something in her chest stuttered, leaving her stomach tight and bubbly. So close, she thought, to the same feeling of that woman, all those years ago. Mira had thought maybe Eric would be the one to bring this feeling back, but maybe Zero was the one she should’ve been focusing on. To put nine people together, to make them _kill_ to get out. She wanted to know who he was, how he’d come up with such an idea.

Maybe she didn’t even need Eric if something like this brought her so close to what she was looking for. Eight people besides herself, surely one of them could explain why she felt the way she did.

Zero could probably tell her.

Eric’s voice, high pitched and grating, grabbed her attention.

“You’re suspicious, you can’t explain who you are or what you’re doing here, so clearly this is your fault! Now, let us out, or I swear-” He cut off with a gurgle and shriek, skin against skin echoing alongside the pain. Mira cut her eyes to Left as he pulled his tailcoat straight and sneered at Eric as he pulled back up, hand pressed against his reddening face.

“Can you get any stupider? Let’s say we’re all as moronic as you, and we believe I am Zero. What would the point of me faking amnesia and putting myself in this bunker be?”

“T-to keep an eye on us, obviously.” Left’s eye visibly twitched at Eric’s frantic voice.

“Do you seriously believe this place isn’t crawling with cameras? Not to mention, Zero has to have activated those recordings somehow. But no, let’s say you’re right about that. By your own admission, my story is suspicious. So, _why_ , if I were Zero, would I give you a suspicious story?”

Eric sputtered a little, turning towards Mira. She raised a brow at him, wondering what he wanted from her. He didn’t really expect her to comment on this, did he?

“And Eric?” Left’s voice dropped low, face darkening, lips pulled into a snarl and predatory eyes. “ _Never_ threaten me again.” A shudder raced down Mira’s spine, but she didn’t have time to think about it. The computer beside them lit, letters scrolling until they resolved themselves into a sentence.

“The pig?” Mira tilted her head, eyeing the floating body. “I suppose that means we need to find a way to cut it.”

Eric cut away from them immediately, heading across the room and away from Left. Mira hesitated, before following Left to a model of DNA. He raised a blonde brow at her, but she matched his bland, questioning look easily.

“Not going to follow Lover Boy?”

“Hmm, no.” _I’m more curious about you_ , she thought but didn’t say. They turned to search for a way to cut the pig, instead. Left found a loose piece of DNA, and Mira used it to unscrew the lid to some strange machine. They worked silently beside each other, searching the rest of the room easily.

She couldn’t understand him, or quite what made her curious. He’d been right when he pointed out that it didn’t make sense for Zero to play the game with such a strange story. And nothing about him suggested lies.

Except how he’d reacted to Eric. The punch wasn’t surprising. She’d seen Eric, temper easy to flare and abrupt to disappear, get in fights with others before. But the look after, the _threat_ , pulled at her mind. Those weren’t normal, and they didn’t sound like bluffs. Mira didn’t think Left had a small bite.

“I found a knife!” Eric brought it over, eyes glued to her face. She gave a smile, made sure her eyes crinkled a little like she practiced, and took it. When Left looked at it a second too long, she gave a simple twirl and handed it to him, handle first. He did something, a flick of the wrist, and it disappeared up his sleeve. “And, uh-” he glared at Left before turning back to her. “There’s, like, a microwave or something over there.”

It didn’t take long to start putting the puzzles together. Eric helped with some heavy lifting, but it’s Left Mira found herself focusing on. When he wasn’t snarling at Eric, he’s quick to put pieces together and find creative solutions. He doesn’t explain his thought process, just goes through it, leaving her to try and puzzle her way to the same conclusions. They make sense, but she’s almost suspicious of how quickly he does it. The back and forth—is he Zero, or not?—made her head spin. Finally, with another flick of his wrist, he cuts through the pig in a single, smooth slice. A familiar move.

“How quick you are to slice into a defenseless creature. It reminds me of something that happened, once. Seventeen years ago a woman died, her chest carved open.” Mira listened closely, the story ringing a familiar bell. But what did that have to do with now? Unless the reason Mira had been taken for this game had to do with what happened seventeen years ago. But that didn’t explain anything, nor why the others would also have been taken. She continued to listen, careful to pay full attention to the words. She’d heard a suspect had been caught and executed, but she hadn’t known about the taxi or surgeon. Why they, or the injured boy waiting for surgery, mattered, she had no idea. Four dead beside the victim was impressive, but irrelevant.

“For now, let’s turn our attention back to the game. In front of you, you now hold three vials of a virus known as Radical-6. Among other things, it instills the desire to commit suicide. It is _highly_ infectious.” Eric sputtered beside her. She didn’t recognize the name, and by Left’s scrunched brows, neither did he. “One of you must inject yourselves to open the door out of this room. And one of you has the antidote in your bracelet that will be injected immediately afterward. Should you choose not to inject anyone, then the two that don’t have the antidote will be given the virus after you fall asleep. This is your choice.” The video cut out, leaving the three of them standing alone.

“What the _fuck_?!” Eric tugged at his hair, eyes stark against his pale skin. “This is a death sentence, not a choice!”

“You’re doing that thing where you don’t think,” Left taunted. “All we have to do is figure out who to inject.”

“Assuming he’s telling the truth,” Mira pointed out. Left shrugged.

“He hasn’t lied to us yet. Why would he start now?”

“So who do you think we should give this virus to if you’re so sure he told the truth?” Left took several moments to regard the vials but Mira kept her eyes on him. She agreed that Zero seemed to follow the rules he set, but that didn’t make their choice easier. If they didn’t inject, two would definitely die. If they did inject, they had a one in three chance of everyone living. Not fair odds.

“Me,” Left finally said, reaching for the vial. “It’d make the most sense to kill the leader of a team. Always cut off the head of the snake.” Without giving them a chance to argue, he pushed the virus into his blood. Nothing happened as they all stood waiting, but eventually, the door slid open with a soft sound of displaced air. Eric, being Eric, ran out quickly.

“Well, I’m not dead yet.” Shrugging, Left followed through the door.

Mira hesitated, regarding the final two vials. It didn’t make much sense, Zero giving them three when they only needed two. But if this virus was real and in these tiny little vials... no reason to deny a gift. Mira picked one up, sliding it into her back pocket. She turned, about to head after the guys.

Left leaned against the door, watching her with a smirk. His blue eyes flicked across her body, down towards her pocket, before meeting hers again. With a wink, he turned and walked away.

That same sensation, of something moving in her chest and skittering down her spine, overtook her.

Mira followed, a deadly virus in her pocket.

* * *

For the following ten minutes, they sort of just waited for Left to go insane and commit suicide. When that didn’t happen, they figured they’d guessed right.

Not once did Left bring attention to the vial in Mira’s pocket.

“Well, at least you won’t have to go through the rest of this without me.” Left grinned, reaching for a water bottle. He’d denied beer when Mira had offered, face scrunched. Apparently, he didn’t drink, though he couldn’t remember why.

“Like that matters,” Eric muttered. Left’s lips pressed together tightly.

“Look, I don’t like you either Lover Boy. But right now, we’re in this shit together, all the way until we get through that door.” A beat goes by before Eric dips his head in acceptance.

“Yeah, you’re right. Truce?” Left hesitated, before giving a grudging nod.

“Truce. For now.”

“What I’m curious about,” Mira broke in, “Is why even have a Biolab? What were they expecting to do with all those animals and roots?”

“Well, the virus,” Eric pointed out. “I mean, I’ve never heard of it but that’s the kinda stuff that gets created in a lab, right?”

“Well, yeah.” Left nodded but gestured widely. “But that doesn’t explain the animals. And I don’t know if you noticed, but in all those boxes of files, there were papers on genetics connecting people in something called ‘morphogenic resonance’. Either of you know what that means?”

“No idea.” Eric shook his head in agreement with her. “But did you take a look at the papers? What’d they say?”

“As far as I could tell with a quick look? That siblings are more likely to be connected to this morphogenic field because of genetic switches that were flipped in their parents. Something about danger causing changes in DNA? I don’t know, man, but it got even weirder.”

“How?”

“One of the papers was talking about switching minds. Like, if someone had a strong enough connection to this field thingy, then they could switch minds with someone else connected. Through time and everything. It was fucking weird.”

Mira considered that, but couldn’t find any way that it made sense. She’d never heard of ‘morphogenic fields’ before, and without going and looking more closely at the papers, they weren’t likely to find answers.

Neither of the guys suggested going back into the room, though, so she didn’t either. It must’ve been one of those things that had to do with hearts that she didn’t understand.

“Now announcing the current casualties.” They all startled, listening to the voice come over what must’ve been an intercom. “C-Team: Carlos, Akane, Junpei. These three are now deceased. As such, three I-Passes will be revealed. FIRE-CRASH-FIVE. That will be all.” Eric cursed under his breath, leaving Left and Mira to share a calm look.

“So, S-Team voted C-Team.” Left nodded, looking thoughtful as he watched the board besides the 9 Door.

“And now we have three passes.”

“B-but maybe they’re not dead.” They turned to look at Eric. “I mean, we haven’t seen their corpses, right?”

“Doubtful. So far, Zero hasn’t lied to us.”

“That we know of,” Mira pointed out. Left shrugged.

“And until we know he does lie to us, we should trust he’s telling us the truth. Why make us play this Nonary Game business if he wasn’t going to actually kill people?”

“Doesn’t matter now,” Mira said, looking at her watch. “It’s time.”

They fell asleep the next moment.

* * *

## S-Team Outbreak: Manufacturing, ’00:05’

Sigma couldn’t help feeling déjà vu in the Manufacturing room. It looked, he thought, very much like his GAULEM Bay. Worse, the three robots powered down to the left of the door reminded him very much of G-OLM, who had long ago (or would?) help him. Strange, though, were the opaque glass pods on the right, and the DNA reader beside them.

“You say there are glass pods?” Light asked, running his hands over them. “Isn’t this a room meant for the creation of robots like the ones you described? Why would there be glass containers?”

“There shouldn’t be,” Sigma muttered, scanning the room. Between being stuck in another Nonary Game, trying to get out of more escape rooms, and Left being here somehow, he didn’t like the conclusions he was coming to. “Those pods look like the type used for cloning.” Phi’s eyes cut over to him, sharp and calculating.

“Akane said that this is about the time they thought Brother began developing Left clones.”

“So you think the Left leading L-Team is a clone, not the original?” She shrugged.

“The original should be dead by now.”

“As fascinating as this is,” Light cut in, “Perhaps we can find a way out of here instead?” Sigma cringed, turning away to begin searching. Light was right, after all. They were here for a purpose. Left could wait. Not like they could deal with him right now anyway.

Manufacturing, they soon found out, didn’t take long to search. Phi activated the robots while Sigma explained what all the papers said to Light. The bomb gave them pause, but eventually, they followed through on the instructions and set the timer to 000. A mistake, if Sigma did say so himself.

“Shit, should’ve known.” Phi shook her head, pulling Sigma down beside her as she crouched in front of the wires. Above them, the alarm beat a pounding throb in time with his heart. “Which wire do I cut?”

“Left,” Light demanded immediately, voice tight. “If the notes are correct, cut the left one.” She obeyed, and they all took a moment to appreciate that they hadn’t exploded. Except-

“That didn’t stop the bomb, what’s next?” Sigma turned to Phi, handing her the screwdriver when she demanded it. They found another wire and obeyed Light’s order. How he knew what to do from Sigma’s simple explanation of the pictures was beyond him.

“Is that...” Phi shook her head, already reaching forward with the screwdriver. “We can’t let the mallets hit the metal bar.” She began removing screws, careful to make sure they swung into something not the metal bar in the center. She reached for the second to last one-

_The little hammer hit the bar, the balls began to roll. Buzzing filled Sigma’s ear, the heavy knowledge that he could do nothing could save no one settling in just in time for blue and red to meet and-_

“Not that one!” Phi froze, switched targets to the other screw without any more hesitation. Behind the removed panel, they found another set of wires, Phi reaching for the one on the left without question. Sigma trusted her judgment, even as he bit his lip to withhold the reminder that the earlier note had mentioned a false wire.

The alarm stopped, Betty collapsed. Phi leaned against him, a split second as their muscles relaxed, adrenaline leaving their systems. They stood together as the door opened.

“Well,” Light hummed, “That was one way to escape, I suppose.” Sigma saw Phi roll her eyes, but he only followed Light out of the room silently. They ended up in the Lounge, still forty-five minutes to go before they fell back asleep.

“I wonder if that was really the first time we woke up,” Phi muttered, scanning the area again. Nothing had changed.

“No way to know,” Sigma shrugged. “Our watches say it's 00:45, so it’s been a while since the vote at 13:30.”

“At least we’re well-rested,” Light pointed out. “Better than trying to escape with no sleep.” _Like you did in the first two Nonary Games_ , Sigma thought but did not say. Everything about Light, from his ease moving without sight, to the tight grip on his emotions, to the fact that he was Clover’s brother, made Sigma uncomfortable around him. Phi, unsurprisingly, seemed not to care that they were responsible for taking the last of this man’s family.

Phi reminded Sigma of Akane, every now and again.

“Speaking of the vote at 13:30,” Light began when they all settled on the couch. “You both mentioned this virus that kills six billion people. Care to explain a little bit more? I assume this is why you’re at Dcom.”

“Well, yeah.” Sigma shared a look with Phi, but she only raised a thin brown brow at him. “Free the Soul is the one funding Dcom. All we really knew going into this, is that _something_ bad happens during the six days of no communication in Dcom that ends with Radical-6 escaping and leading, directly and indirectly, to the death of six billion people. We infiltrated it along with Akane in the hopes of stopping that from happening.”

“Well,” Phi drew out, “That’s not all we know. Sigma, don’t you remember the recording that _Tenmyouji_ explained to us?” It took Sigma a moment, but then he remembered what she was talking about. A young man telling Control that he had killed six billion people. And Tenmyouji—Junpei—had explained what the recording came from—and claimed to have been part of the group that did it.

“I remember. But what about it?”

“The guy in the recording said that six people from Dcom were dead.”

Light drew in a deep breath. “Six people for six I-Passes.” Phi nodded slowly.

“Yeah. I think so.” Which meant that this game, this new Nonary Game, somehow led to the Radical-6 outbreak. Great.

“So the stakes are real.” Light hummed under his breath. “That’s not as reassuring as I’d like.”

Sigma snorted in agreement. This game, as all the Nonary Games before—and after—was real, and deadly. But he just had to do this. Complete this one last mission, and then he could switch back to the version of him on the moon, and he could live out his days with Kyle and Luna and Phi.

A part of him ached at the thought of Kyle. Sigma had planned for his son to come on this mission, to follow him into this last deadly quest. But instead, when he’d arrived, Kyle and whatever body he had landed in hadn’t made it to their meeting place. Which meant that Kyle hadn’t made the jump with them.

Desperate for a distraction from his thoughts, Sigma asked Light, “You said you came here looking for your sister, right?”

“Yes.” Light didn’t protest the change in subject, just settled more deeply into the cushions. “She went into work on the twenty-second and never came back. Her supervisor has also disappeared. I’d heard-” He cut off for a moment, before letting out a slow breath. “I suppose there’s no need to lie if you’re already aware of who I am. She was supposed to be getting intel for a mission, but she never got back. I’d heard Free the Soul had something to do with Dcom, and considering they were the mission, I thought perhaps I might find some lead to her here.” He frowned, pale eyes still shut. “I found nothing though, except another Nonary Game with two of the old participants and even stronger espers. It is—unusual.” Sigma shifted uneasily, sending a desperate look towards Phi. She didn’t say anything, just gave a sharp shake of her head. They’d agreed with Akane when the other woman had insisted that they couldn’t tell Light about them having Clover until after they’d saved the world from Radical-6. But that didn’t stop the sharp taste of bile in the back of Sigma’s mouth. Clover and Light were close, Sigma knew. The kind of closeness that only came from surviving death games together. (Sigma knew the feeling. It was just like him and Phi, or Akane and Junpei. Just with a deeper base of siblinghood.) Keeping the fact that they knew where Clover was, that her safety was guaranteed-

It killed him, a little, to deny Light that peace of mind.

“What about your parents?” Sigma asked. “Surely they’re helping?”

Light shifted uneasily. “We haven’t been in contact with our mother for the last eight months. My father...” Light sighed a little, looking distant and his eyes fluttered open, sad and distant. “My father is a good man. Intelligent, hard-working. A little distant, admittedly, but he always does what’s best.” His voice quieted, leaving Sigma straining to hear. “I wish I could tell him I understand now.”

“He sounds like a great dad.” Sigma wasn’t jealous, _he wasn’t_. Just because he’d ruined whatever relationship he could’ve had with his son for the sake of saving the world didn’t mean he had to be jealous of Light being so close with his dad. “He must be searching very hard for your sister.”

“Cedar Field died, years ago.” Sigma’s heart dropped as Light cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “A car crash on his way to the hospital. He was a surgeon.”

Sigma searched for any words that wouldn’t feel empty but came up with nothing.

“Now announcing the current casualties.” The voice saved him from any further awkwardness. “C-Team: Carlos, Akane, Junpei. These three are now deceased. As such, three I-Passes will be revealed. FIRE-CRASH-FIVE. That will be all.” The bile in the back of his throat choked at him now, his stomach revolting against the words. His vote-

“So, it looks like it wasn’t a trap by C-Team after all.” He twisted to Phi, ready to scream at the simple way she said it. Akane was _dead_ , and because Sigma had voted for it. Only the tight press of her lips, the simple shaking in the hand that reached for her mother’s brooch, stopped him. Phi did so well at hiding her emotions, at disguising her unease under a calm façade.

In another history, she’d died in his arms, nothing but a calm goodbye on her lips. He wondered what it would take to truly shake her. _Bombs_ , he thought. Those might do it.

“I have an idea.” Phi stood, pulling Sigma back to the present. Somehow, he didn’t like the look in her eyes. It was the same look she’d had when she’d suggested SHIFTing the first time. Not that they’d known what they were doing, back then. Sigma followed her back into Manufacturing and found himself deeply disturbed at the thought that he shouldn’t be surprised when she suggested blowing themselves up to get out.

“Not us,” she replied blithely when he voiced this. “Just the wall. Now, get to carrying.”

“What am I, the pack mule? Haven’t you been calling me an old man the past five days?”

She stared him down. “You’re not going to ask the woman and blind man to carry the delicate bomb, are you?” Sigma gritted his teeth as he reached for it, because as crazy as the idea was, it could work. 

Better that then let anyone else die.

“Wait, this is a horrible idea.” Sigma turned to Light, who truly looked scared, with even paler skin and shaking hands. “What makes you think that really leads to the exit? And do you really think Zero is just going to let us escape like this?”

“Well, it’s not like he can stop us.” Phi shrugged, reaching up to readjust her glasses. “There’s a reason all the messages have been recordings. How he’s predicting what messages to give us, I don’t know. But no matter what, the reasoning for it is the same: Zero _must be_ one of us.” She stared hard at Light, who swallowed harshly. “Unless you’re telling me _you’re_ Zero, I don’t see how any of the others could stop me.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Light shook his head. “But by that own logic, who’s to say Zero’s been injecting himself with the sleeping drugs? He could be awake and watching right now.”

“We must all have been awake together for the vote at 13:30,” Sigma pointed out. “I’m assuming the other teams are awake at the same time as us. Which means that whoever Zero is—Left, likely—he can’t do anything without the rest of his team knowing. That limits his movements.”

“We have no guarantee of that! You’re assuming. In these games, we should never _assume_ anything.” Sigma shared a bewildered look with Phi, but she had no explanation for Light’s vicious wish to not go through with this.

“Don’t you want to get out of here?” Light turned away at Phi’s sharp question. It was the inch she needed. “This can get us out of here. So we’re doing it.” Light backed down, though he looked mutinous at doing so. It didn’t take long for Sigma to get the bomb set up, the timer as high as it would go. The whole time, Light looked upset and about three seconds away from screaming at them. If he had an inch less self-control, Sigma thought he would’ve been biting his nails.

“Took you long enough.” Sigma popped his back at Phi’s drawl, before rolling his eyes.

“And who died and put you in charge?”

“I did. Call me Boss Phi.” Sigma felt his lips twitch, but he had no time to snark back. Light put a quick end to that.

“Perhaps we should reconsider this. There’s no way this will end well.”

“We’ll figure it out, Light.” Sigma grabbed his shoulder, ready to guide him out as soon as the button was clicked. “For now—run.”

They did.

“Here, this is far enough.” Beside him, Phi clenched her hands, fists going white. Light wasn’t paying any attention to them, jaw tight and facing away. Sigma took the opportunity to reach out, running his finger over the pulse on Phi’s wrist. Her hands didn’t loosen, but she gave him a sharp nod as they waited for the boom. Instead, they got static.

“I suppose you thought you could get away with this.” Zero’s voice shook audibly, so very different from the calm, precise words of his previous messages. “As if you’d be allowed to escape the game this way. There are rules, set for a purpose. You _cannot_ break them!” A sharp inhale, and the voice settled down from its previous scream. It cut in and out, like a live message. “You’ve gone around the rules. So, I suppose, must I. If you blow up the wall, it will indeed lead you to escape. But, there’s a consequence. On the other side of that wall, L-Team is unconscious. The bomb you’ve set is very powerful. Should you leave the bomb...” Zero trailed off. “Choose.” The video cut, Light already snarling at them.

“I _knew_ it. You don’t go around the rules in this game!”

“Damnit Light, we _know_.” Sigma was already running, sprinting towards the Decontamination Room and leaving Phi and Light to yell at each other. He found the showers on, something very much like acid blocking his way.

“There’s a suit here,” Phi pulled it out of the locker, shoving it to him before turning back for another. “ _Fuck_ , there’s only one.”

“It’s fine, I’ll go.” The suit was the same as the ones he’d kept on the moon, so the motions to yank it on were familiar.

“ _No_.” Sigma stopped, holding nothing but the helmet in his hands at Phi’s vicious growl. “Sigma Klim you are not going in there alone.”

“Don’t you ‘Sigma Klim’ me, _Phi Crona._ We only have one suit. I’m going in there and I’ll turn off the bomb. You and Light need to run, _now_.”

“I’m not-”

“We don’t have time!” Light turned on his heel, racing away with sure steps. “The more you argue, the longer this takes. Phi, come on.”

Sigma pushed Phi after him, going to put on the helmet. Phi grabbed his wrist, the bones shifting with the strength of her grip. He always forgot how strong she was, despite her size. But with her eyes blazing, silver turning mercury in the dim lighting, he couldn’t forget Phi had literally jumped through time and space to help him here.

“You’re _going_ to come back. Understand?” Sigma nodded, giving her wrist his own squeeze before he pushed her through the door.

“I promise.” Something sad flashed through her eyes, but they were already turning away from each other.

With a snap of his hands, the helmet fell into place and Sigma dived into the acid rain of the Decontamination Room.

The problem became apparent immediately. Whatever acid pounded against his back, fighting against his protective suit, had already melted the outer casing of the bomb. The timer was gone, and the two balls balanced precariously. He reached for them, looking for any way to keep them apart, any way to stop this.

The emergency stop button had already melted beyond use.

The balls tipped, the bottoms giving out.

Sigma twisted, forcing his feet under him, forcing his body to _move_ past the terror gripping his soul. He reached down, trying to force a SHIFT, but it wouldn’t come to him.

The heat came before the sound.

Ringing echoed in his ear, the high buzz of a concussion slowing his processing power. He wanted to stop, to lay down and rest. He’d been going for so long, all for this mission. He’d survived years on the moon, alone for most of it. Sigma put together the AB Project, knowing as he did it that he’d be sentencing himself to two days of hell, no explanation until the end. He’d gone through so much, _created his children knowing he’d watch them die_ , and for what? For shock in his system, unable to jump timelines, alone in the slowing rain of acid, Phi and Light-

 _Phi_. Sigma shoved off the emotions, the memories, the ache wondering where Kyle had gone, focusing instead on the here and now. He noticed immediately the lack of arms, the blurry vision. He didn’t like what this meant, what it told him of the future. They hadn’t run into Radical-6 yet, had seen no sign of it. But Phi had run, should’ve survived. All he had to do was put one foot in front of the other, go through the door (how was that still functioning?).

“Sigma!” Small arms, thin and corded with muscles, caught him. The familiar simple vanilla scent tickled his nose because ‘why would I need some fancy scent?’ _Phi_. “Okay, come on, old man. It isn’t time for a dirt nap yet.” A ripping sound, and why couldn’t he focus? His eyes- “We’ll take care of this. After dealing with Dio for two days without killing him, we can survive anything.” It took a bit, but Sigma eventually became aware enough to see his surroundings, despite his right eye being completely useless. At some point, he must’ve been moved, because instead of the Decontamination Room, he was on what must be the elevator. Dio—Left—and Eric were dead, but Mira was talking in Phi’s arms. At least she’d-

A flash of something in her hands and Sigma managed to catch one word before she fell back, her chest still. “Radical-6.”

“ _No_.” Phi jumped to her feet, backing away from them. “Wha- _what did you do_?!” She turned, but Sigma couldn’t raise his voice, couldn’t go to her, couldn’t even _reach_ for her. Phi tried going back in, but Light stopped her.

“Phi, calm down.” Phi turned, but her eyes left Light, meeting his instead.

“Kill me. Sigma, _you have to kill me_.”

“I won’t.” Light backed off, going to the control panel for the elevator. Phi’s hands cut through the air, and he wanted to hold her, to keep her safe. To tell her it was alright.

They’d promised to never lie to each other.

She was infected. Phi had Radical-6 in her veins, and if she left here-

“You have to kill me and burn my body. It’s the only way to stop the virus.” Tears glistened in her eyes, but it didn’t stop the determination, the pain. They’d come here to stop the virus, to keep six billion people from dying. Instead... Phi would be the cause of the very thing they’d given up _everything_ for.

“I’m not letting you die on your own.” Sigma tried to soften his words, to be the rock Phi needed. All he could think of though was that they’d failed. They’d failed, and now Sigma—young Sigma—would have to live through it all again. Maybe next time they wouldn’t fail. “It’s too late. There could be other vials, now broken, in the shelter. If anyone comes to dig this place out-”

“This is why we did this!” Phi met his eyes, lips a hard line. “Please, Sigma. Don’t make this for nothing.”

Light moved, quick as a snake, and Phi fell with a soft scream.

“What the hell, Light!” He only pulled Phi onto the elevator, dropping the taser beside her body. Sigma had forgotten about it after they’d left Manufacturing.

“Some things have to happen.” The lift groaned to life, lights flashing, pulling them towards the surface. It didn’t take long for the dark sky to wash against them and at the top, they found the radios linking them to Control on and screaming.

Light reached for one, clicking it on.

“This is Light Field from Dcom.”

“ _Oh, thank God. What’s happening over there? Is everyone alright_?”

“No.” Light took a breath. “Six people are dead.”

“ _W-what_?!”

“Myself and two others are the only survivors. The others died.” Control sputtered on the other side, but Light only shook his head. “No, that’s not right. _I_ killed them. And not just these six. I killed _six billion_ people.”

Control continued to talk, but Sigma couldn’t focus on them. Beside him, Phi groaned, her eyes opening sluggishly to meet his. They didn’t speak, didn’t offer support or explanations.

They’d failed. There was nothing to say.

* * *

## The moon, AB Room: 01/25/74

Sigma opened his eyes, confused and disoriented. Across from him, an unfamiliar girl, about his age, looked at him.

“You’re... Sigma, right?”

And the Nonary Game: Ambidex Edition, began.


	3. Freed Soul

# Chapter 2: Freed Soul

≪≪

## L-Team Radical-6 (2): Biolab, ’19:00’

“For now, let’s turn our attention back to the game. In front of you, you now hold three vials of a virus known as Radical-6. Among other things, it instills the desire to commit suicide. It is _highly_ infectious.” Eric sputtered beside her. She didn’t recognize the name, and by Left’s scrunched brows, neither did he. “One of you must inject yourselves to open the door out of this room. And one of you has the antidote in your bracelet that will be injected immediately afterward. Should you choose not to inject anyone, then the two that don’t have the antidote will be given the virus after you fall asleep. This is your choice.” The video cut out, leaving the three of them standing alone.

“What the _fuck_?!” Eric tugged at his hair, eyes stark against his pale skin. “This is a death sentence, not a choice!”

“You’re doing that thing where you don’t think,” Left taunted. “All we have to do is figure out who to inject.”

“Assuming he’s telling the truth,” Mira pointed out. Left shrugged.

“He hasn’t lied to us yet. Why would he start now?”

“So who do you think we should give this virus to, if you’re so sure he told the truth?” Left took several moments to regard the vials but Mira kept her eyes on him. She agreed that Zero seemed to follow the rules he set, but that didn’t make their choice easier. If they didn’t inject, two would die. If they did inject, they had a one in three chance of everyone living. Not fair odds.

“Me,” Eric broke in. They turned to him, waiting for an explanation. “Look, it doesn’t make sense to kill the team leader, not when it’s clear Zero wants the leaders to make the decisions.”

“So why not Mira?”

“I’m not letting Mira inject herself with some crazy disease.” Left shrugged his shoulders, backing out of the way. He didn’t seem to care one way or the other, just watched dispassionately as Eric picked up a vial and pressed it against his skin.

The door opened with a quiet swish.

Mira followed the boys out, leaving behind those strange vials with an unknown virus.

* * *

They all settled by the bar, quiet and in their own thoughts. Mira, however, wanted answers. And as she couldn’t get answers on Zero himself, she’d settle for the other big mystery of the day.

“So, Left. What do you remember?”

He groaned, fingers tapping against his water. “Are you questioning my amnesia again? I thought I only had to put up with Lover Boy.”

“Amnesia usually leaves basic information alone. Like language, manners, that sort of thing. You remember that you don’t drink alcohol, but what else? Does anything stand out? It might give you an idea of who you were.”

He stayed quiet for a bit, but Mira had perfect patience. She let the silence stretch, broken only by Eric’s restless shifting and the constant tapping of Left’s fingers.

“The Heart Ripper.” Mira put down her glass without taking a sip, full attention snapping to Left. That hadn’t been what she expected. “For some reason, I remember every detail about a serial killer called the Heart Ripper.”

“Strange,” she forced herself to say, voice calm and even despite the curiosity nearly ripping her apart. “Why that?”

Left shrugged, finished his water, and leaned back. “No fucking clue. March 15, 2026, a 28-year-old woman. May 22, 2026, 37-year-old male. Twenty others, names and dates, all in my head. The first one goes back to 2011.”

“But I thought the Heart Ripper only killed eighteen people.” Mira didn’t respond to Eric, watching Left instead. As far as the public knew, the Heart Ripper _had_ only killed eighteen people. And no one should know about the woman—that first, precious kill before the Heart Ripper knew what they were doing—from 2011. How Left knew about it, especially with the amnesia, raised plenty of questions.

“But in 2011...” Eric trailed off, laughing in that strange way of his. “That was the year I lost my mom. She was so beautiful, she made our family happy. Always making sure we smiled.” Eric’s face twisted, a dark shadow passing across his face, leaving his lips bloodless and his hands clenched. “Why did it have to change, why did she have to _die_. It doesn’t make sense, unless-” Eric cut off sharply, backing away from the bar, a bottle in his hand. His eyes were wild, and Mira couldn’t help the excitement that swooped in her gut. Whatever was happening couldn’t be natural. The virus perhaps?

“Whoa, man, calm down.” Left tried reaching for the bottle, but Eric flinched back, hitting it against the wall. Glass and liquor sprayed like raindrops in a forest. Eric held only the neck, glass sharp and uneven.

“No, no you don’t get it. I have to go, have to stop this. Don’t you get it? There’s nothing here, my mom, Chris, they’re waiting for me. I have to be free, have to _join them_ -” Eric moved too quickly for either of them, the bottle snapping up towards his neck.

Blood sprayed, Eric’s body dropping like a puppet without strings.

“Well,” Left finally said, stepping back from the corpse. “I suppose that answers the question of whether we guessed correctly.”

“You’re right.” Mira pressed her lips tightly together, anger churning in her gut. Dead. Eric was dead, and it _wasn’t because of her_. His heart—the heart she’d always wanted to see—had already stopped beating. And because of this game, no less.

It seemed Zero owed her a heart.

She turned to Left, but he didn’t flinch away from her. It did not go unnoticed that he didn’t seem to care much for the fact that Eric had just killed himself in front of them. For a moment, Mira wondered if Left was like her; no heart to speak of. It’d make sense.

Left reached for his water, sitting back down.

“You know who Zero is,” she accused, the pieces clicking into place with startling speed. He didn’t look surprised that Eric hadn’t been given the cure. He’d been insistent that someone had to be injected. For an ‘amnesiac’ he didn’t seem too panicked. She’d been unsure before but his information—information on things no one should know—convinced her. 

He said nothing, only finished his water. 

“Now announcing the current casualties.” They stood still, listening to the robotic woman. “C-Team: Carlos, Akane, Junpei. L-Team: Eric. These four are now dead. Four I-Passes will now be revealed. FIRE-CRASH-FIVE-ICE. That is all.”

It didn’t change a thing, knowing that Sigma had betrayed Carlos and the others. Surprising, but not important. Zero owed Mira answers for taking away the closest lead to _that_ feeling she’d been chasing. 

“I want to talk to Zero.” Left tilted his head, his blue eyes glistening. 

“I’m right here.”

* * *

## S-Team Suppression: Healing Room, ‘00:10’

Sigma helped Phi up, letting her walk Light through the room and explain everything they saw. Something about this—waking up in an unfamiliar room, trying to puzzle their way out—screamed familiar to him. Then again, he supposed this was just how he and Phi spent their time now. 

If they ever finished saving the world, they could make a living running kick-ass escape rooms. 

Phi finished explaining the room but didn’t move to do anything. Sigma reached for her shoulder, shaking her back into the present. “Phi, are you alright?" She nodded slowly, but her face remained considerate.

“It’s past midnight but... do you feel like we’ve been awake before now?”

“Yes,” Light drawled, “At 13:30.” Phi shook her head running her hand through the air as if mapping something.

“No, not like, vertically. Not in a straight line. More—sideways?” Her eyes flicked to Sigma, ignoring Light’s confused hum. Sigma considered her words.

SHIFTing still wasn’t possible without a life or death situation, but resonating with the morphogenic field—and the information within—had gotten easier with practice. Sigma couldn’t remember any details, but he knew what Phi was talking about. He could feel memories from another timeline, just out of reach. He just didn’t have the power to remember, at the moment.

“I know what you mean, but for now, let’s get out of here. Other histories can wait.” Phi nodded her agreement, and they split up.

It didn’t take long to start finding the camera and take pictures of the keys as they unlocked different rooms. Sigma appreciated the forest—it’d been so long since he’d gotten to go for a simple hike—but the blank sky gave him vertigo. Still, they got keys back into the piano and Light, with his ear for detail, repeated the melody perfectly.

The button came as a surprise.

“Alright, so we press.” Sigma reached for it, but Phi’s grip on his wrist stopped him short.

“Are you insane?! It’s literally a giant button with a do not touch sign. Have you not watched a movie, _ever_?”

“How else are we supposed to get out of here? Ask Zero very nicely?”

Phi rolled her eyes, but her hand didn’t leave his. “This is a trap. It’s a proven psychological trick that humans want to do things they’re told not to.”

“And where’s your source?” Sigma shot back. “Look, why would Zero put a button here if he didn’t want us to touch?”

“Did you forget the introduction he gave us? This is the Nonary Game: Decision Edition. It’s a game literally about choices. And pressing that button is the wrong one.”

“How about we vote,” Light broke in smoothly. “Your preferences are clear enough.” Sigma nodded grudgingly. He could accept a majority vote. They were all in this together. “I’m going to agree with Phi, on this point. I see no reason to push the button that is meant as a taunt.” Sigma groaned, but he’d agreed, so he backed off from the button. A minute passed in stilted silence, but before he could ask what next, the door opened.

Sigma did not miss Phi’s pointed look.

Phi and Sigma returned to the Lounge, collapsing into the couch together. They still had half an hour before they were injected.

“Now announcing the current casualties. C-Team: Carlos, Akane, Junpei. L-Team: Eric. These four are now dead. Four I-Passes will now be revealed. FIRE-CRASH-FIVE-ICE. That is all.”

“Sigma-” Phi bit her lip, swallowing heavily before going on. Sigma felt his entire focus shift to her, the horror at what he’d done— _Akane, Junpei,_ dead—disappearing in the face of her uncertainty. He couldn’t handle them being dead right now, but he could help her. “Sigma, what are we doing here?”

“Uh, saving humanity?”

“No, dumbass. Like...” She sighed, waving her hand to the ceiling where the voice had just come from. “Akane is _dead_. Because of _us_. We haven’t seen any sign of Radical-6 yet, even though this is likely set up by Brother. So what, are we trying to win? Trying to get out alive? Are we going to kill Mira and Left—never mind the fact that we have no idea how Eric even died-”

She cut out, same as the lights. Above them, red flashed. They stood together, pressing their backs against each other so they could get an idea of what happened.

“Phi, where’s Light?” He felt her shake her head, his stomach dropping. They had no idea where Light had disappeared to, the lights had cut out, four people were dead.

Everything about this left Sigma feeling two steps away from a cliff.

“Phi, I want you to run.”

“Are you kidding me?!”

“No. Look, we have to find Light. He probably went into the other room and can’t tell anything is wrong.” She cursed quietly under her breath, coming to the same conclusion. There was no alarm, just the emergency lights. To a blind man, there would be no difference. “Let me look around here for a second, and I’ll be right behind you.”

“Fine. But hurry it up, old man. I’d hate for you to break your back.” Leaving Sigma with a wry twist to his lips, Phi made her way into the next room. Sigma inched around the Lounge, searching for something—anything—that could be wrong. He found nothing.

The pain came unexpectedly, blooming across his side in a sharp blast. Sigma twisted, trying to see what was happening, trying to find answers-

He recognized them just as the blade descended again.

* * *

Mira stood still, the bodies cooling beneath her. Her blood pounding in her veins, a distorted mirror to the slow ooze leaving the corpses. She hadn’t taken the time to remove the hearts, to pull those strange things from their chests. She hadn’t needed to, not with the excitement pooling her in her stomach, the buzz dancing beneath her skin. This, right here, was a high unlike anything since that first kill. A different high, admittedly, than that kind middle aged woman. But a high nonetheless.

“This isn’t the path I wanted,” Zero murmured. His voice rose higher. “Our deal holds?”

“Yes.” She wiped her prints from the knife, just in case this shelter was ever discovered. “I’ll find a— _volunteer_ for the virus. Assuming, of course, that the address you gave me is correct.” She turned, but Zero’s blue eyes were aimed towards the cooling bodies, sadness unhidden by his hair. The expression left just as quickly as it appeared, replaced with something more familiar to her. He switched faces the same as her.

Mira reached for the pad by the 9 Door. The six passes entered easily, the words still echoing over the intercom. FIRE-CRASH-FIVE-ICE-DAD-TIME. The door slid open, and Left chuckled as they walked through.

“You, Little Heart, are one hell of a gal.” She twitched at the nickname. He’d given Eric one, of course. But she hadn’t realized nicknames were something he was prone to.

They reached the surface, and went their separate ways.

For now.

* * *

## Location Unknown: 02/14/29

The pub didn’t seem like much. A little run down, a lot empty. It didn’t stop Mira from walking in and sliding into a seat at the bar. No alcohol lined the shelves.

Left slid in beside her five minutes later.

“Here we thought you wouldn’t come.”

“I asked for the location, didn’t I?” He chuckled again, low but attention-grabbing. The three other blondes in the bar didn’t turn towards them.

“That you did. I suppose congratulations are in order, Little Heart.” He smirked, offering his hand for a shake. He still wore the tailcoat from the shelter. He looked better when he wasn’t faking amnesia. “Welcome to Free the Soul. You’ll fit right in.”


	4. A Study of Hearts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I totally forgot to tell you: this is snake's outfit in this (art not mine) https://i0n4.tumblr.com/post/188060815383/what-if-you-wanted-light-field-in-your-zero and this is what Left's wearing: https://kilannad.tumblr.com/post/621184137262448640/lefts-outfit-in-fws  
> and uh, this is where that cannibalism tag comes in, so you've been warned

# Chapter 3: A Study of Hearts

≪≪

## C-Team Execution (2): Lounge, ‘13:27’

“Guys, we have three minutes until the voting deadline,” Junpei broke in. Akane jumped up, following when Junpei made his way to the terminal that’d been mentioned in the video.

“S-Team, right?” Before Carlos could touch the screen, Junpei put a hand on him. Turning, Carlos’s gut dropped at the considering face.

“We should vote L-Team.”

“ _What_?”

“Think about it, Carlos. If everyone got our note and listened to it, this could be our chance to get three I-Passes.”

“You mean our chance to _kill_ three people.”

“And if no one dies we’re going to be stuck in here forever!” Carlos leaned back from Junpei, something twisting and writhing inside of him. There had to be a way to get everyone out together, he would accept no other outcome.

Except if Junpei was right and six people _had_ to die, then that meant he would have to kill to get back to Maria. He couldn’t leave her all alone, not when she fought every day to get better. She deserved better. So did Akane and Junpei. Carlos liked them, thought they were good people. They didn’t deserve this. And there was no guarantee that the other teams had even seen his letter.

Akane remained quiet, staring at the screen blankly. Junpei had made his case. Carlos had a choice here. To turn on L-Team—and kill three people—or to vote S-Team and pray everyone obeyed the vote.

Carlos hit S-Team.

Carlos couldn’t hear Junpei’s yelling, but it petered off into quiet grumbles quickly enough. Buzzing filled his head. He might have just killed himself and two others.

“Congratulations,” Zero said from the TV. “You did exactly as I asked. I think you deserve a reward, so your memories won’t be erased. Sleep well.”

Carlos supposed it was time to pray.

* * *

## L-Team Execution (2): Lounge, ’13:27’

“So we vote C-Team, right?”

“Well,” Left tilted his palms side to side. “That’s one option.”

“You thought of it too, huh?” Mira felt grudging respect for Left. Not many would have considered all their choices when an easy out had just been presented to them.

“Explain, please?” Mira rolled her head towards Eric, wondering again if her instincts were right and he’d be what she was looking for.

“C-Team could be using this as a trap to kill us. Or, alternatively, say that the other two teams listen to the note. In that case, we could use this to our advantage and vote S-Team, same as C-Team, and get rid of them.”

“W-why would we do that?!”

“Are you an idiot?” Left sneered. “To get I-Passes to get out of here. What do you think happens if we do nothing and refuse to let anyone die?”

“We get stuck here,” Eric whispered. “Forever.”

“Yeah.” Mira nodded her head towards Left. “So, what do we vote for?”

Left stared at the screen for a moment, letting his eyes flicker to the boards by the 9 Door again. Mira considered him closely, watching as with a single flick of his finger he voted.

The screen flashed with ‘S-Team’.

“And so the decision is made.” Mira turned from Eric’s yelling watching Zero’s message to them. So they’d remember this.

How curious.

* * *

## S-Team Execution (2): Lounge, ’13:27’

“So who do we vote for?” Sigma finally asked. Phi watched him with calm eyes, before stepping out of the way and gesturing to the computer. It reminded him of the AB Games, all those times in all those histories.

“I’ll trust you to make that decision.” Light frowned at her words, but remained quiet.

Sigma didn’t trust Left, not when he knew he must be at fault for this game. But Akane... Akane would do whatever had to be done. She hated killing, hated death, but knew sometimes it was necessary. And if killing Left stopped the game...

Except killing Left meant killing Eric and Mira, and they were good people. Strange, admittedly, but good.

This was like the Ambidex Game all over again. Betray, or ally? Trust C-Team, or L-Team?

He pressed L-Team.

He turned to Phi, watching those cool eyes. They held no judgement, and he couldn’t even be surprised at her following words.

“Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.” _Not even Jupiter can find a lost opportunity._ The words were a familiar cadence after all these years. _Except we can_ , Sigma thought, remembering a conversation he’d had with Phi during the first day of Dcom. _Jupiter can’t change the past, but we_ can. Sigma wondered how many times he’d lived through this very choice.

He fell asleep, trusting she’d be there when he woke up.

Phi always was. 

__

## S-Team Death: Healing Room, ’14:00’

The collars wouldn’t come off, no matter how much Sigma twisted and pulled. Light leaned against the far wall, holding himself terribly still as if that would hide him from what was coming.

Phi stopped pulling, settling as Zero’s voice came down, echoing that same Latin Phi had once said to Sigma, all the way out on the moon.

“Sigma,” she pulled his wrist down, craning her head up to meet his eyes instead of stepping back, away from his body. “We need to jump.” He stilled, but he didn’t know if he could. The power felt distant. Like it’d been sucked dry.

“Where would we even SHIFT?” Phi shrugged, but they didn’t have time to worry or decide. It reminded him, so terribly, of that history where he’d failed at remembering the bomb codes.

Sigma hated to fail, but he didn’t have time to consider that. Didn’t have time to think or make choices. Sigma dragged Phi against him, wrapping his arms around her slim body-

And knew no more.

* * *

## C-Team Suspicion: Pantry, ’18:10’

Junpei, Carlos found, was nowhere. Considering the tiny room that made up the Pantry, this wasn’t a hard conclusion to come to.

“Do you think...” Akane trailed off, but Carlos was already shaking his head.

“Junpei is capable. I’m sure he’s somewhere, we just have to find him.” Akane calmed, and they began searching. With the room so small, though, Carlos managed to keep her talking as they began looking for a way out.

“You and Junpei said you were childhood friends. But is that all you guys were?”

“Well, we _were_ eight at the time.” Carlos rolled his eyes at the delicate amusement in her voice.

“That’s so not what I meant.”

“Matchmaker, huh?”

“ _No_ , I uh.” He stopped, running his hand through his hair. Akane met his eyes. “What I mean is, my coworkers tended to come to me when they had problems. I don’t have a lot of experience,” his face heated, “but you and Junpei sound like there’s something unfinished there, you know?” Akane looked down and away, but her tanned skin couldn’t hide the blush.

“It’s uh, well.” She got redder. “Junpei...means everything to me. It’s just--hard. With everything.” She waved her hand, and though Carlos had no idea what ‘everything’ entailed, he figured it had something to do with the death games that he still didn’t have the full story on. Her voice quieted. “I wish I could find a way to explain everything to him.”

“Do it after this.” Akane met his eyes again. “This is a really crappy situation but,” Carlos shrugged helplessly. “We’ll get out of it. We _have_ to. And when we do, you can sit Junpei down and talk it out. You’ll figure it out.”

“Thank you, Carlos.” Her smile went from small to mischievous the next moment. “Your girlfriend is very lucky.” He sputtered, tripping into the box of potatoes he’d just found. He could feel his pale east coast cheeks light up.

“I, uh, no, no girlfriend.”

“Boyfriend?” The heat intensified. Carlos was open about his bisexuality, but he hadn’t expected Akane to so casually bring up the possibility.

“No, no boyfriend either. Just, uh, single me. I mean, I’m not alone.” Oh God, was he babbling? He was totally babbling. “I, uh, take care of Maria, of course, and I mean, I have a dog. His name is Cerberus.” Wow, he should stop talking now.

“Really? What kind of dog?” He could hear her trying not to laugh.

“A pomsky,” he finally muttered. Akane’s laughter spilled over.

“Named after the guardian of the underworld?”

“Hey! Cerberus is very vicious.” She nodded, biting her lip to try and keep a serious face.

“Yes, I imagine so.”

“Let’s just go back to looking, alright?” Akane relented, though he heard her mutter ‘Cerberus the pomsky’ under her breath with a giggle. A smile tugged at his lips.

It disappeared when he opened the cupboard. A leg greeted him.

Akane screamed, Carlos twisting towards her the next moment. She’d found a torso.

“Y-you don’t think?” Carlos shook his head, pulling her away and letting her shaking frame lean against him.

“No, no of course not. Why don’t you go focus on the potatoes? That’s iodine, right?” She nodded shakily, turning from him. Carlos hunted down the rest of the body parts, bile rising with every piece. It couldn’t be _him_ , no matter how real the body parts felt. They were made of gelatin or the kind of fake cadavers they used in med classes.

Opening the freezer dispelled any such hope.

Akane rushed from the room, but Carlos found himself rooted in the cold air, staring at the frozen head before him. Above him, the announcer came on.

“Now announcing current casualties. S-Team: Sigma, Phi, Light. C-Team: Junpei. These four are now dead. Four I-Passes will now be revealed. MILK-DEAR-BRO-JUMP. That is all.”

Carlos stumbled, hitting the back wall as he turned towards the door. He had to get out, had to get _away_ from the head, from _Junpei_.

Akane sat curled in the corner, shoulders heaving with her tears. Carlos choked back the instinct to offer comfort. How could he comfort her here? She’d just told him that Junpei meant the world to her. And now Junpei was-

 _Dead_. Carlos forced himself to think it, to acknowledge what had happened. _Junpei is dead_. He’d had grief training after his team had lost their first man to fire. But nothing could prepare him for what just happened. To see his body, mutilated and pulled apart, to watch as Junpei’s girlfriend came undone at the seams.

Carlos made it to the box just in time to throw up, heaving his empty stomach. When had he eaten last? Yesterday?

In the corner, Akane wailed into her knees.

Years ago, Carlos had pushed aside the reek of burning flesh, the stench of dead bodies, the pain of knowing his home was destroyed, all so he could get his sister out. He pulled on that same will, that same thought of _have to keep moving or more are going to_ die.

Carlos stood up, wiping the back of his mouth with his hand. He desperately wanted mouthwash, but it’d have to wait. Instead, he steeled himself and returned to the freezer, avoiding Junpei’s head in favour of searching for a way out.

He found nothing new except a steak knife and a fork. Back in the Pantry, he kneeled by Akane, pulling her face up to meet his eyes.

“Akane, I need you to focus on me, alright?”

“J-Junpei is-!”

“I know. I know Akane. But _think_. Zero has full control of this shelter. That means Zero must have killed Junpei when he moved us in here. For now, we need to find a way to get out before anything else is done to us. Okay?” Her eyes cleared, but eventually she nodded slowly.

“O-okay, yeah. Let’s find a way out.” He breathed a soft sigh, comforted by the determination growing in her eyes.

“To exit this room is a simple matter.” Akane flinched closer to Carlos at the abrupt voice. Another message from Zero. “Around the room, you’ll find Junpei Tenmyouji. He was injected with a concoction of my own creation. Among other things, either ricin or deadly nightshade took part. Not even I know which but either way, it is still in his system. To open the door, one of you must... shall we say, _taste test_. Twenty minutes later, the door will open. I don’t need to tell you that throwing up discounts your actions.” The voice cut off, leaving Carlos and Akane sitting on the floor, a body their only way out.

“Ri-ricin will kill only anywhere between thirty-six to seventy-two hours, enough time to get help, but if there’s enough deadly nightshade in him-” she cut off, pale and shaking, eyes dilated.

“What? What happens if it’s deadly nightshade?”

“It could kill us in twenty minutes.” Carlos fell back, his hand knocking into the utensils he’d found. Which brought another problem.

“Are we-can we really-?” He couldn’t finish, swallowing hard and looking away from the torso, sitting not a foot away from them.

“It’s _Junpei_.”

“What do we do, Akane? How do we get out?” They stared at the body—at _Junpei_ —for several more seconds.

“I have a job,” Akane whispered. “I have to save them. B-but _Junpei._ ” Carlos looked at her, eyes wide and red-rimmed, the way her body still shook from the shock. He couldn’t ask her to do this, possible death aside. Junpei had been his friend, true. But he’d been her _everything_. Carlos couldn’t ask Akane to eat her soulmate.

Carlos reached for the knife.

“Carlos...” He ignored her, taking delicate care to disturb Junpei as little as possible as he cut a small piece away. The only honour he could give his fallen friend. He prayed that Junpei would eventually get the burial he deserved. Something that did him justice.

It tasted like ash and betrayal as it went down, slimy and cold to mix with the taste of vomit in his mouth.

He gagged, but bent over, throat working to stop the bile.

“Oh, _Carlos_.”

Minutes passed, and heat washed over him, making his head spin. Something wrapped around him, small and soft and safe. “You’re okay, Carlos. Stay with me.” Air tickled his ear, leaving him giggling at the sensation. Maria always loved to tickle him.

“Maria, _stop_. Just cause you’re not ticklish doesn’t mean you can hold it against me.” Maria stilled from where she held him.

“Carlos,” that wasn't Maria’s voice, “Carlos, it’s Akane. Can you hear me?” _Akane_ , he knew that name. It tasted familiar as a sweet snuck under the table by his grandmother.

“Carlos!” That one. That call was all Maria. Why did she need him?

Heat blazed against his skin, and he remembered. Pain and death filled the air, but Maria was still alive. He had to get to her, had to stop her from joining their parents.

He fought through the house, dodged the falling ceiling tiles. Fire climbed the walls like ivy, inching across what he’d once thought of as home, turning it into a death trap.

“Maria!”

“Carlos!” She kept calling him, her voice getting weaker and weaker. But he couldn’t find her, couldn’t hunt her out.

Something wet splashed against his skin, seared away the next moment.

The fire reached higher, grabbing at him, pulling at his clothes.

All he could hear was his sister calling his name.

* * *

## L-Team Triangle: Lounge, ’00:30’

Eric disappeared through the door, hoping to find something new. Why he tried, Mira had no idea. Though, it did leave her alone with the mysterious Left.

Mira had spent most of her life studying people, trying to understand what caused them to react the way they did. And while she still found herself stumped a lot, she didn’t think the dispassionate ‘meh’ attitude that Left displayed at having amnesia and waking in an unfamiliar place in the middle of a death game was really normal.

But maybe she was wrong. Who knew?

“Tell me something,” Left began abruptly, leaning into her space from the seat next to her. “Why did you sign up for Dcom?” She took a sip, considering her words. Left seemed loose, half sitting on the stool, long leg propping him up. The curious, confused air that he’d had when last they’d woken had disappeared, replaced instead by a calculating glint and small smirk.

Curious, Mira let her control slip, not caring enough to pretend to have emotions to this strange man whom, the more Mira thought about it, wasn’t telling her the truth.

“Dcom claimed to be a psychological experiment. I hoped to find an answer to a question I had.”

“What question?” She stared him down, unwilling to let the words slip past her lips.

_What is a heart and why don’t I have one?_

Left didn’t press the issue, strangely. Only smirked at her, lips widening to show teeth when Eric cried out.

“I think, whatever your question is, you’ll soon find the answer.”

* * *

## L-Team Triangle: Study, ’01:00’

Left, Mira found, stayed strangely quiet while exploring the study. Less yelling at Eric, less cryptic remarks. All around just... less. She found it highly discomfiting. He even left a large chunk of the puzzle solving to her and Eric. Which meant she did most of the puzzle solving.

And then they opened the final safe, finding only a single note. _Kill one._

As if on cue, the announcer came on. “Now announcing current casualties. S-Team: Sigma, Phi, Light. C-Team: Carlos, Junpei. Five I-Passes will now be revealed. MILK-DEAR-BRO-FIGHT-JUMP. That will be all.”

“So he’s really dead...” Mira watched Left, pain flashing across his features before they hardened. “Five are dead. Now we’re told to kill one more.” She made the connection same as him, the gun sliding into her palm easily, aim true. Eric followed her and Left the next moment. It meant she aimed at Eric with the gun as he aimed to Left with the grenade launcher. Left’s crossbow didn’t waver as it aimed at her.

“Don’t even think about it,” Eric snapped, hefting the launcher a little higher. Left’s lips pulled back, teeth bared.

“How about you put down that weapon before you hurt someone, Lover Boy?”

“As soon as you take that crossbow away from Mira.” Left chuckled lowly.

“Maybe you should be more focused on your girl than me.” Eric’s eyes flickered to her, widening at the silver muzzle pointed at his head.

“Mira, what are you doing?” She didn’t answer, watching Left instead. He stared her down, challenge dancing in his eyes.

Eric was _hers._ She’d been with him for months, trying to understand if he would give her that same feeling, would show her that same heart, as that woman all those years ago. Maybe then, maybe after all this time, she’d finally get an answer to her question.

But here, now, with this three-way standoff, the likelihood of something going wrong, of Eric dying before she could achieve her goals, was too high. It’d make all her work mean _nothing_.

Mira pulled the trigger.

Eric dropped the grenade launcher, hand slamming to his shoulder where the bullet went through even as he dropped to the ground.

“Mira...?” She ignored him, turning to offer a hand to Left. He raised a blonde brow, crossbow leaning against his leg.

“I need something to cut with.” Instead of offering her the arrow, as she expected, an engraved hunting knife slid down from his sleeve. His smirk grew when she took it, never answering her unspoken question. She supposed it didn’t really matter where it came from.

She kneeled next to Eric. She’d hit an artery, and his breathing came out in wheezing rasps, slow and stuttering. A death rattle.

“Mira, why w-would you?”

“When I was little,” she began, cutting into his skin with the skill of long practice. She began her tale, wondering who she was explaining to. Eric, or the blonde statue over her shoulder? “I wondered why I didn’t feel anything. My mother said hearts were what made us feel.” Blood pooled, warm and seeping into her bare knees where she kneeled. Eric didn’t scream as she cut, peeling layers and layers of skin away. Shock, she assumed.

It didn’t stop him from reaching up one last time, fingers tipped crimson brushing her cheek before falling.

“Mira...keep smiling...you alwa-always looked best smiling.” His eyes turned glassy, but she didn’t care, movements growing frantic with each second that passed. Her stomach twisted, excitement bubbling. Something in her chest squeezed. Mira was smiling. She wondered for how long.

Was this what it felt like? Having a heart?

“This is it,” she breathed, lips pulling even further at no command. She wouldn’t have been able to stop the expression if she tried. “ _This is it_.” She laughed, breathless and heady with joy.

Eric’s heart was still warm as she cupped it, delicate and gentle. It didn’t beat, didn’t even twitch. But Mira felt so light, so _free_ , she didn’t even care. This was a heart, in all its glory.

Something shifted in her periphery. She’d forgotten Left.

She turned, head tipping up to his, curious and giddy, excited and pulsing with the thrill of _feelings_ in her chest.

Left’s eyes were dark, sky blue turning cobalt. She couldn’t breathe, something in her so focused on what rushed through her, Eric’s corpse cooling by her feet.

Left moved, pulling her up with a harsh tug, leaning down in the same moment. His lips crashed against hers, copper and iron rich on her tongue as he forced his way in, teeth clashing together, tongues battling. She bit his lip, drawing a moan even as she sucked the blood that burst, sweet as caramel.

The announcer's voice echoed, distant and unimportant to them both.

“Now announcing current casualties. S-Team: Sigma, Phi, Light. C-Team: Carlos, Junpei. L-Team: Eric. These six are now dead. Six I-Passes will be revealed. MILK-DEAR-BRO-FIGHT-JUMP-POOR. That is all.”

When Left finally pulled away, blood painting a mosaic of death against his clothes and skin, he only went far enough to murmur harshly in her ear.

“I can feel your heart beating right now. It’s not missing, just more _useful_ than the crippled thing people like Lover Boy were cursed with. You’re just like me. I’ll show you, Little Heart. Don’t worry.”

It wasn’t hard to follow him then, chest— _heart_ —beating wildly with anticipation.

Left paused in the Lounge, staring at the wall. ‘ _Do I bind a man inanely?_ ’ stared back.

“Do you know what an anagram is?” Mira quirked a brow at the random question.

“Yeah. You just change the placement of the letters, right?”

Left tilted his head to the wall, eyes glinted with a challenge, just like in the study. “So, what does that wall say?”

Mira took the time to consider it, working through her head the possible combinations before she finally reached one that made sense. Or the most sense, at least.

“ _An alien mind in a body_. What does it mean?” Left winked, smirk playing around his lips before he turned away.

The door slid open easily with the passwords.

* * *

## Nevada: 02/17/29, two weeks after the shelter was found

Lisa pulled blood from the bodies that were reportedly found in the pantry. The only survivor, a young woman, had clearly gone insane with grief by the time a hiker followed his ‘spiritual guide’ into the middle of the desert and stumbled across the bunker, a hundred miles away from the sight where eight people had reportedly gone missing during a space experiment. One of those eight was still missing, another now in a psychiatric ward, and the rest...

The rest were in Lisa’s autopsy room.

Lisa stumbled while carrying the tray of blood vials, leaving her cursing her clumsiness even as she knelt to clean up the mess. She missed Johnson, cranky old man or not, at that moment. He’d been training her and left her behind when news came of his first grandchild. She wasn’t prepared to handle these crazy deaths, much less the conspiracy theories that were floating around them.

Only after she picked up the shattered glass and moped up the blood did she realize she’d just broken a million safety rules. God, hopefully she wouldn’t come down with some horrible disease just because she was a clutz.

She chuckled at her own imagination, going to pull more blood.

* * *

New York Times, 03/01/29

Radical-6 Infection Spreads, Cure Continues to Elude Authorities


	5. Abandoned by God

# Chapter 4: Abandoned by God

≪≪

## C-Team Execution (3): Lounge, ‘13:27’

“Guys, we have three minutes until the voting deadline,” Junpei broke in. Akane jumped up, following when Junpei made his way to the terminal that’d been mentioned in the video.

“S-Team, right?” Before Carlos could touch the screen, Junpei put a hand on him. Turning, Carlos’s gut dropped at the considering face. 

“We should vote L-Team.”

“ _What_?”

“Think about it, Carlos. If everyone got our note and listened to it, this could be our chance to get three I-Passes.”

“You mean our chance to _kill_ three people.”

“And if no one dies we’re going to be stuck in here forever!” Carlos leaned back from Junpei, something twisting and writhing inside of him. There had to be a way to get everyone out together, he would accept no other outcome.

Except if Junpei was right and six people _had_ to die, then that meant he would have to kill to get back to Maria. He couldn’t leave her all alone, not when she fought every day to get better. She deserved better. So did Akane and Junpei. Carlos liked them, thought they were good people. They didn’t deserve this. And there was no guarantee that the other teams had even seen his letter.

Akane remained quiet, staring at the screen blankly. Junpei had made his case. Carlos had a choice here. To turn on L-Team—and kill three people—or to vote S-Team and pray everyone obeyed the vote.

Carlos hit L-Team.

Buzzing filled his head. He might have just killed three people.

“Congratulations,” Zero said from the TV. “You did exactly as I asked. I think you deserve a reward, so your memories won’t be erased. Sleep well.”

Carlos didn’t know how he would face Maria as a murderer.

* * *

## L-Team Execution (3): Lounge, ’13:27’

“So we vote C-Team, right?”

“Well,” Left tilted his palms side to side. “That’s one option.”

“You thought of it too, huh?” Mira felt grudging respect for Left. Not many would have considered all their choices when an easy out had just been presented to them.

“Explain, please?” Mira rolled her head towards Eric, wondering again if her instincts were right and he’d be what she was looking for.

“C-Team could be using this as a trap to kill us. Or, alternatively, say that the other two teams listen to the note. In that case, we could use this to our advantage and vote S-Team, same as C-Team, and get rid of them.”

“W-why would we do that?!”

“Are you an idiot?” Left sneered. “To get I-Passes to get out of here. What do you think happens if we do nothing and refuse to let anyone die?”

“We get stuck here,” Eric whispered. “Forever.”

“Yeah.” Mira nodded her head towards Left. “So, what do we vote for?”

Left stared at the screen for a moment, letting his eyes flicker to the boards by the 9 Door again. Mira considered him closely, watching as with a single flick of his finger he voted.

The screen flashed with ‘C-Team’.

“And so the decision is made.” Mira turned from Eric’s yelling watching Zero’s message to them. So they’d remember this.

How curious.

* * *

## S-Team Execution (3): Lounge, ’13:27’

“So who do we vote for?” Sigma finally asked. Phi watched him with calm eyes, before stepping out of the way and gesturing to the computer. It reminded him of the AB Games, all those times in all those histories.

“I’ll trust you to make that decision.” Light frowned at her words, but remained quiet.

Sigma didn’t trust Left, not when he knew he must be at fault for this game. But Akane... Akane would do whatever had to be done. She hated killing, hated death, but knew sometimes it was necessary. And if killing Left stopped the game...

Except killing Left meant killing Eric and Mira, and they were good people. Strange, admittedly, but good.

This was like the Ambidex Game all over again. Betray, or ally? Trust C-Team, or L-Team?

He pressed L-Team.

He turned to Phi, watching those cool eyes. They held no judgement, and he couldn’t even be surprised at her following words.

“Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.” _Not even Jupiter can find a lost opportunity._ The words were a familiar cadence after all these years. _Except we can_ , Sigma thought, remembering a conversation he’d had with Phi during the first day of Dcom. _Jupiter can’t change the past, but we_ can. Sigma wondered how many times he’d lived through this very choice.

He fell asleep, trusting she’d be there when he woke up.

Phi always was. 

* * *

## L-Team Death: Pod Room, ’14:00’

Death, at least, came quickly. Mira couldn’t decide if that was a mercy or not.

Considering Eric’s yelling, she’d say yes.

* * *

## C-Team Poison: Infirmary, ’18:00’

Zero, Carlos was learning, loved to talk. This story clearly continued the one from the vote at 13:30. Not that it explained much. While he sympathized with the falsely accused man, and felt for the children left behind, he didn’t see how it was relevant to them. Of course then Zero told them they were poisoned like it was nothing.

Which at least explained why they weren’t locked in. Just conveniently placed in the room where the antidote for six(?) people was. 

The room didn’t take long to go through considering its size. The luminol lighting up the floor was—concerning. By mutual silent agreement, no one commented.

By mutual silent agreement, no one talked about _anything_ that had happened.

All the way until eight cases of possible antidote slid out of the wall. By then, Akane had already begun ordering them about, and Carlos couldn’t help the feeling of _I can trust her_ , no matter how strange considering their limited relationship. Maybe it had something to do with the way his limbs responded slowly, heavy like he moved through molasses.

But then Akane had collapsed and Carlos felt like an idiot because _of course_ the person with less body mass would be affected faster than the two big men. Junpei’s face closed off with panic, the kind that goes bone deep and causes all sense to disappear because someone you love is hurt, is _dying_ , and there is nothing you can do about it.

Carlos knew that feeling all too well.

So Carlos left Junpei to his panic and focused on Akane’s last words—for now, because Akane seemed way too cool to have such lame _last_ last words like that. He ran the letters over in his head, realizes that Akane—beautiful, _genius_ , Akane—overlapped them perfectly and now all he had to do is factor in the fact that no one felt anything and-

“A. The antidote is A.” Junpei stared at him, hope and pessimism warring.

“You sure?”

“I wouldn’t guess with your life.” Junpei still looked uncertain, and only then does Carlos realize that whatever had happened to this man, only three years younger than Carlos, meant he valued his own life very little. So Carlos rode his certainty on the life they both cared about. “And I wouldn’t guess with Akane’s life either.”

Junpei took the medicine.

_ Carlos opened the freezer, Akane close behind. Junpei’s head sat before them, frozen and still, a terrible statue. And the other parts flashed through Carlos’s mind—the torso, the legs, the arms—and all he could think- _

“Junpei!”

“I’m alright.” Carlos blinked, whatever vision before him disappearing like smoke, replaced by Junpei—alive, breathing steadying out—pulling a slowly waking Akane closer against his chest. They rested on the floor, Carlos turning his head to give them at least the sense of privacy.

He jumped when, five minutes later, Junpei reached a hand in front of his face. Carlos startled at how easily Junpei pulled him to his feet, but figured the wry, runners build Junpei had wasn’t just for show.

“I’m sorry.” Akane came up beside them, leaving the three huddled closely together, the three remaining antidotes sitting on the floor. “I can’t believe I passed out.”

“Not your fault the poison got to you faster. Besides, your idea saved our lives.” Akane blushed at Carlos’s praise, tanned skin darkening further.

“You did good too, you know.” Carlos looked away from Junpei, but ran into Akane’s sincere eyes instead.

“Yeah. Thank you, Carlos. You saved us just as much as I did.” Apparently they’d decided it was his turn to blush. His pale skin did nothing to hide it.

The announcer saved him from further embarrassment.

“Now announcing the current casualties. L-Team: Left, Mira, Eric. These three are now dead. Three I-Passes will be revealed. TWO-KILL-FOOL. That is all.”

Carlos stumbled back from the others, stomach revolting because he’d-

He’d done that. Killed those three, because it’d made sense, such _sense_ , anything to get out of here, to get back to Maria, to make sure Junpei and Akane, whom he inexplicably cared for far more than he should, didn’t die. Carlos had killed three people, after dedicating his life to saving others, all with the push of a button.

_~~ S- ~~ _ _ L-Team button flashed. _

“We have another problem,” Akane began, picking up the antidotes and dragging them out of the room. Carlos focused on her, on the warmth over his skin, instead of the cold crawling into his chest. “I think S-Team is also poisoned.”

Gab sat calmly outside of the vent leading to S-Team, as if just waiting for Akane to wrap a note around his collar, fiddling with it until it held three glass vials tightly against his fur.

Carlos wondered where Gab had been all this time. He seemed to show up exactly when they needed him, but he never saw the dog otherwise.

Either way, with the dog gone and the outcome of S-Team officially out of their hands, they all returned to sitting around the Lounge.

Carlos couldn’t focus, though, couldn’t relax. All he saw could see was that freezer in the Pantry and Junpei’s _head_ -

“Junpei-” Carlos swallowed, cutting himself off. Junpei seemed fine, eyebrow lifting, smirk still dancing around his lips, high off of their survival. Carlos could swear he could smell chilled flesh. “This is going to sound really weird man.” The smirk disappeared, replaced instead with curiosity touched by wariness. Akane’s attention caught as well, waiting for him to go on.

So Carlos explained what he saw. Or thought he saw.

Junpei’s laugh should’ve rankled, considering the clear dismissal, the uncaring way he talked about what had felt so _real_ to Carlos not half an hour ago. The way the sarcastic drawl followed Carlos’s stumbled offer of clairvoyance. (Maria believed in Tarot and Astrology and all sorts of things, she’d know what to say here.) But something in his eyes, wary and resigned all at once, made Carlos think there was more to the reaction than what the surface showed.

And then Akane opened her mouth and told him what SHIFTing meant. Carlos thought Maria would understand way better, but somehow here he was, stuck in a death game learning he could time travel while his sister slept in a coma.

“So, wait. If you two can do it-” Carlos thought of Sigma claiming to be from the future, of the way Phi didn’t announce the same but quietly supported Sigma. Maybe they had been telling the truth. And Akane had just said Light was one as well. Which meant there were at least six of these SHIFTers in this shelter. A pattern in the victims could lead to the perpetrator, Carlos knew.

Zero, and the watches, interrupted the thoughts.

* * *

## S-Team Fire: Trash Disposal Room, ’00:10’

Phi was on the other side of the glass. _Phi was in the incinerator_. Sigma knew very well what happened when Nonary Game participants ended up in incinerators. Akane had nightmares about it, all the way in 2074. 

Even Light looked pale at the situation, moving about the room with a frantic energy. Phi, being Phi, just gave a firm nod and looked around on her side. Having her out of sight while _in an incinerator_ did nothing to help Sigma’s blood pressure.

How nice it was to have a young body again. He didn’t have to worry about heart attacks. If only Phi wouldn’t cause him gray hair quite so soon. Not everyone could pull off the look as well as she could.

Light’s hands fluttered over the control desk as Sigma pulled on the mask, searching for clues, for anything that could _get Phi out_.

Being held down with a gun to his head was not what he’d had in mind, but if it meant Phi would live, so be it. Sigma didn’t care about how Zero’s story of six victims were connected to Radical-6. He didn’t care that Light was shaking, tense and clearly scared. He didn’t care about this _stupid fucking game_ , and he had long since stopped caring about the mission.

They had three minutes before Phi burned alive.

“Light, pull the trigger.”

“Sigma, you _idiot_.” He could make her out through the window from his position, at least. She looked pissed, face tight and eyes wide. He wished he was close enough to see the different shades of gray and blue. “You never care about anyone else.”

“I’m a selfish bastard,” he agreed. Her lips didn’t so much as twitch. Sigma wanted to see her smile, just in case.

“I’m not pulling the trigger.” Sigma turned as much as he could, Phi disappearing from view so he could focus on Light. To his surprise, Light’s eyes were open, milky blue shiny with unshed tears. “I won’t kill you.”

“Damnit, Light. Listen, do you want us both to live?” Sigma’s stomach dropped at the hesitation, but Light nodded eventually. He took it as a win. “Then you need to pull the trigger. The only chance of everyone getting out of here alive is if you shoot me.”

He shook his head, leg stepping back shakily. “I can’t kill you.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Damnit, Sigma. You don’t know that.” He met Phi’s eyes again, made sure to smile for her. The stupid little half smile half smirk he knew she hated.

“Good thing I have nine lives, huh?” He winked, careful to bite back the words that really wanted to slip away.

He wouldn’t say them, not here and now, as if he was really dying. He’d wait until they were out of this stupid game, after they’d saved the world, and then he’d ask her out like a proper gentleman. Maybe he’d even refrain from cat jokes for an entire evening.

Light stepped forward, tears flowing freely and shaking his shoulders with the force of his sobs.

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

The incinerator door clicked open, shattering the quiet following the roar of the gun. It didn’t matter.

Phi stepped out, stumbling to a halt because Sigma-

She faced Light instead, rushing to him and forcing the thoughts away. Sigma, tall and full of life, even back when she’d thought he was in his sixties. Sigma, who helped her save them on the moon. Sigma, who was broad and gave the best hugs, always near when Phi needed him. Sigma, who made stupid cat puns with his stupid half smirk that made him seem so sure, that smile that she pretended to hate because the alternative was-

Sigma, blood and brains spattering the wall.

“ _Why_?” she demanded instead of thinking, because thinking meant accepting that her Sigma was dead. “Why would you do it?” Light shook—or maybe she was the one trembling?—tears and sobs loud and ugly. A mirror to Phi’s own face.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Why would you choose me? I _didn’t matter_.” Sigma mattered. Sigma who dedicated his life to this mission, to saving the world. Sigma who had children that hadn’t made the trip with him. Sigma who would save six billion people.

Sigma who’d promised they’d get out of this.

Her stupid, brave Sigma.

“I’m s-sorry, I had to.”

“ _Had_ to?” Her throat closed, a dam holding back salt and water, shoulders shaking in time with Light, sobs echoing each other in this room of death and broken promises.

She didn’t care about the I-Passes, didn’t care that L-Team was dead.

Sleep was a blessing when it came.

* * *

## C-Team Anthropic Principle: Rec Room, ’02:00’

“And so we’re stuck.” Carlos shared a sympathetic look with Akane at Junpei’s dramatic sigh. The Rec Room looked pleasant, but that didn’t change the fact that they were trapped. And, if Akane’s theory was right, it may not even be the first time.

It was the New Year, and Carlos hadn’t even spent it with Maria. At least he wasn’t alone.

Junpei’s hand reached into his pocket, rolling something in his fingers. Carlos could just make out the ring, but he turned away.

They didn’t talk as they searched the room, and something about that screamed familiarity. Maybe the easy way Junpei pointed out things that didn’t belong, or the quick solutions that Akane gave, or the way Carlos reached forward and put the puzzles together. They didn’t talk about the danger, or their questions. Didn’t mention the easy way Akane and Junpei moved around each other, Carlos slotting into the extra space easily, like they’d done this a million times.

They didn’t hesitate in standing together when the announcer threatened to kill them if they didn’t roll an impossible roll, even as Junpei swore he had something else he had to do.

Carlos thought that might have something to do with the ring in his pocket and the girl at his side, but then they rolled and he had no time to think.

None of the dice showed a one.

They had only a minute of terror to jump behind the bar before the guns took aim.

The bar wasn’t thick enough to stop them.

* * *

≪≪

They didn’t hesitate in standing together when the announcer threatened to kill them if they didn’t roll an impossible roll, even as Junpei swore he had something else he had to do.

Carlos thought that might have something to do with the ring in his pocket and the girl at his side, but then they rolled and he had no time to think.

All the dice were ones.

Relief flooded Carlos, clearly mirroring Junpei. Carlos watched him march out, glad to see him happy for once. He followed Akane into the Lounge as they all settled around the couches.

Of course, then Akane told them about the possibility that another version of themselves had already been killed by the dice roll and suddenly their luck didn’t seem that lucky.

Carlos had spent years helping people, putting other lives in front of himself. Could he really claim that it was alright to trade someone else—even another version of him—just so he could survive?

“So you’re saying we might not have been meant to live?” Carlos startled out of his thoughts, returning his attention to his friends.

“I’m saying that this reality, the one we’re observing right now, isn’t the one God meant to create.” Akane gave a little shrug, shoulders slumping. “I’m saying we might be living in the world God abandoned.”

Carlos wasn’t a religious person, but that thought made even him hesitate. If there was a supreme being out there, meant to take care of them, and they’d been abandoned? Was there any hope of getting out of the game?

“Now announcing the current casualties. L-Team: Left, Mira, Eric. S-Team: Sigma. These four are now dead. Four I-Passes will be revealed. TWO-KILL-FOOL-FATE. That is all.”

The ground tilted under him, the room spinning and echoing with the call of the I-Passes. _Dead_. Carlos had gone against the note, had pressed L-Team and now-

Three people were dead. Because of Carlos.

Akane and Junpei sounded very far away. He didn’t know what they were saying, didn’t care. Carlos had killed three people.

Sleep was a blessing.

* * *

## S-Team Transporter: Transporter Room, ’04:10’

Sigma wasn’t with her. Phi had woken up with Light in the Transporter Room, and _Sigma wasn’t with her_.

Phi trusted her gut, it had saved her life more times than she could count. Right now, it told her something was _wrong_. Sigma had always been there when she woke up. Always.

“Is he not in the other rooms?” Phi didn’t bother responding to Light. He knew the answer to that question.

Sigma wouldn’t have left them alone.

“I see you’re searching for someone. Do as I say, and you may find them.” Phi remained silent at Zero’s message. Whatever happened to Sigma, it was his fault. “First, let me explain this room. The device it contains is called a ‘transporter’. I created it three years ago. It allows things on an atomic level to be copied and sent to other histories at any point.” A teleporter. Zero had created an actual teleporter. _How_? Not even Sigma had ever gotten something like that to work. “It does, however, have limits. When it comes to transporting humans, there’s a limit of only one in each input pod. It should only be used once every ten months, to give the energy time to recharge. If it’s an emergency it can be used a second time. The consequences however...” Zero trailed off but then finished walking them through how to turn on and use the transporter. When his voice cut out, Phi couldn’t help cursing him thoroughly.

It didn’t take a genius to put together how the transporter could tell them where Sigma was. Which meant that Sigma-

No. _No_. She wouldn’t believe it until she had a body in front of her. He might be a dumbass, but Sigma wouldn’t go and get himself killed for no reason. Not when they had a mission.

She didn’t bother taking the time to explain what the room looked like to Light. It took less time just for her to complete it, nonsensical number system included. She hesitated before pulling the lever though.

“Would you rather stay here?” Light asked. “It’s the New Year. Zero could keep this game going until someone escapes.”

He was right. Phi knew he was. Yet she hesitated.

Sigma could still be alive. It could be a trap by Zero, though for what end she didn’t know. Perhaps they should spend some more time searching the building. Sigma could be-

_ Sigma, blood and brains spattering the wall. _

Phi startled, pulling away from the lever at the image in her head. It couldn’t be right. Couldn’t be something from the morphogenic field coming through. Why would Sigma be strapped into a chair, a bullet in his head? It _didn’t make sense_.

The announcer came on, as if mocking Phi’s very thoughts.

“Now announcing the current casualties. L-Team: Left, Mira, Eric. S-Team: Sigma. These four are now dead. Four I-Passes will be revealed. TWO-KILL-FOOL-FATE. That is all.”

Phi pulled the lever, shoving Light into the input pod quickly. If Sigma wasn’t there, if he wasn’t helping her every step like he always was, then Zero hadn’t lied to her.

Light surrounded her, green turning white. Phi closed her eyes, lids searing red in the brightness.

Everything went dark.

##  To be continued…


	6. Apocalyptic World

# Chapter 5: Apocalyptic World

≪≪

## S-Team Fire (2): Trash Disposal Room, ’00:40’

“Good thing I have nine lives, huh?” He winked, careful to bite back the words that really wanted to slip away.

He wouldn’t say them, not here and now, as if he was really dying. He’d wait until they were out of this stupid game, after they’d saved the world, and then he’d ask her out like a proper gentleman. Maybe he’d even refrain from cat jokes for an entire evening.

Light stepped forward, tears flowing freely and shaking his shoulders with the force of his sobs.

He pulled the trigger.

The incinerator door clicked open, shattering the quiet following the roar of the gun.

Phi stepped out, stumbling to Sigma, arms reaching up to his shoulders. The restraints clicked open and he fell forward, tension fleeing.

“Ow.” Phi laughed at him and if it was a little more watery than usual, they didn’t mention it. “Turns out, having a gun go off in your ear is painful.”

“Thank God.” Sigma checked on Light, saw him rub away the evidence of his breakdown, and decided that they all really needed to get out of this room.

Phi helped him up, but before he could walk out, slapped him upside the head.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“For making your last words a cat pun.” Sigma grinned, heart swelling at the glare and eye roll. Phi, at least, was okay. (Sigma would have nightmares about her in the incinerator, he knew. But for now she was alright and still with him.)

“Meow, meow, you cat hold that against me.” She huffed but headed out of the room without further violence against his person, so he counted it a win. He even spied a smile.

At least that stupid curse had some upsides.

The good mood didn’t last. By the time Sigma had followed the others into the Lounge, Phi was already yelling at Light. Strangely, Light said nothing in his own defense.

“Phi! It’s fine.”

She whirled to him, eyes flashing. “It is not! Light pulled that trigger which means he didn’t care that you could’ve died.” Sigma didn’t believe that, not with Light’s eyes still red and puffy. Not with the way Light refused to defend his actions, just accepted Phi’s vitriol as if it was his due.

Sigma didn’t think saying any of this would work with Phi, so he settled on another truth. “Good. It saved you.”

“I didn’t matter!” Sigma’s breath caught, chest tightening. Phi didn’t hesitate, didn’t seem to doubt her words at all. As if she really didn’t matter.

“Don’t you dare. Don’t you _dare_ stand there and tell me you don’t matter.” Phi’s jaw tightened but she didn’t take it back.

“You’re the genius Sigma. If we fail here, you’re the one that needs to set up the next game. You’re the one that needs to send us back here.”

“And what happens without you? I never would’ve survived Rhizome without you. The bombs, or Dio, or any number of things would’ve killed me.” Did she really not understand that? Were they remembering two different games? “Phi, there is no future without you. You can’t tell me you don’t matter Phi.”

“The mission-”

“I don’t give a shit about the mission!” Phi startled, face slacking at his explosion. Good. Maybe she’d actually listen now. “I don’t care about Radical-6, or the timelines, or anything else. Not if you’re not there with me.”

“You left me.” Sigma swallowed at her voice, quiet and lost. “In some of those other histories, you left me. You could do it again.”

“No. No I couldn’t.” _That happened before I loved you_ , he doesn’t say. Light had backed off, giving them some privacy, but not enough to have the conversation they needed to have. Phi’s jaw worked, but she only nodded jerkily instead of saying anything.

Sigma reached for her, desperate to hold her after everything, to show her she meant more to him than some stupid mission. She stepped back from him, but he only had time for a single gut wrench to understand why. She wasn’t backing away from him. She had fallen, curling over her stomach with a harsh moan.

He followed shortly, stomach rolling and writhing. He felt like his bones were on fire, skin crawling away from him. Distantly, he thought he noticed Light joining them on the floor.

Something clicked softly. Sigma forced his eyes open past the pain, the spinning world sharpening into Gab with three little vials slipping from his collar. Phi reached forward, grabbing the accompanying note.

“Akane says it’s an antidote.”

“So we’ve been poisoned.” Light tapped the floor until he came across the vials. Phi and Sigma grabbed the last two.

“This could be a trap,” Phi warned.

“We’re already dying.” As if to prove his point, a fresh wave of pain washed over Sigma, ripping a groan from his throat. “I say we drink.”

Light didn’t hesitate, downing the antidote in a single swallow.

Sigma and Phi followed his league.

The pain disappeared quickly, replaced instead by a heavy dread as the announcer came on.

“Now announcing the current casualties. L-Team: Left, Mira, Eric. These three are now dead. Three I-Passes will be revealed. TWO-KILL-FOOL. That is all.”

“So Carlos betrayed us.” Sigma tilted his head to Phi, unwilling to stand yet until feeling had fully returned to his limbs. She frowned, fingering the empty vial. “Yet Akane gave us the antidote. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“A fight amongst themselves, perhaps?” She shrugged at Light’s suggestion, but they had no time to talk about it further.

Sleep claimed them all.

* * *

## C-Team Ambidex: Power Room, ’02:10’

They woke up in the Power Room, the New Year greeting them with steel walls and a locked door. Not, Carlos thought, what he thought he’d be doing.

And without Maria at that.

“Happy New Year.” Akane bowed to Junpei, but turned her smile to Carlos as well. “We’ll get out of here. I know it.”

He returned her smile, amused by Junpei’s growing blush and sputtering. At least she had faith.

They turned to the heaters first, trying to get rid of the ice and frost in the air. The room didn’t take long, only involved a lot of tracing the pipes to ensure power went where it was needed. And one time consuming laser puzzle that Akane completed.

Of course then they were nearly blown up and had to freeze the water. Carlos didn’t know why he bothered being surprised when shit went wrong in this place.

Akane slipping on the floor mocked his inner thoughts.

At least she didn’t have a concussion, that he could tell. Just passed out. They left her on the floor, Carlos’s jacket pillowing her head.

Carlos and Junpei investigated the open door, finding two screens sitting back to back. Confused, Carlos reread the rules just in case he was missing something. There didn’t seem to be any trick to this choice, just a straight up ‘ally and everyone wins’.

“Okay, so this is easy.” Junpei nodded, eyeing the screen uneasily. He looked out the door where Akane’s sleeping form was still visible. His jaw tightened, face smoothing into grim determination. Carlos could trust him to do what was best for Akane, at least.

“Ready?” Junpei counted down. Carlos pressed ally, pleased when the screen flashed and showed the results under his name. And beneath ‘Junpei’ was-

‘Betray’.

Something pricked his skin beneath the watch, leaving Carlos feeling heavy and slow. The ground hit his back hard, but the pain dulled into a faraway tickle.

“I’m sorry.” Junpei looked like he meant it. “But I need to get Akane out of here. And this was the fastest way.”

Carlos reached down, trying to find some way out of this. He couldn’t die, couldn’t leave Maria alone. He understood what Junpei said, knew what he meant, but Carlos _couldn’t die here-_

* * *

≪≪

“Ready?” Junpei counted down. Carlos pressed-

_ The screen flashed in front of him, ‘ally’ sitting under his name and next to it... ‘betray’. _

Carlos couldn’t think, didn’t have time to question that bone deep certainty that Junpei would hit ‘betray’, would turn on him.

He pressed ‘betray’.

The screen flashed with the results, showing that Junpei had voted-

‘Ally’.

“Carlos you _son of a bitch_.” Carlos reached forward, catching Junpei as he collapsed, head shaking as guilt built.

“You voted betray, last time. Why-?” Junpei tried pushing him off but no strength followed the movement. His breathing slowed, Junpei cursing him until he stopped completely.

“No, no no no.” Carlos raced to Akane’s side, looking for her pulse and finding nothing, just as the game promised. “Not you, Akane, not you too.” Carlos fell back, hands tangling in his hair. He’d been so sure Junpei would vote betray, but that made no sense. They’d only played the game once-

_ “Carlos, I think you might be a SHIFTer.” _

_ “What?” _

_ “It means you can jump to different timelines.” _

“SHIFT...er?” Carlos had never had a conversation with such a weird term. Had never sat down in the Lounge for that conversation with Akane.

And yet-

Carlos reached back toward the memory, pulling on it, trying to understand and-

* * *

≪≪

“Ready?” Junpei began counting down, only for Carlos to reach across the screens and grab his hand.

“Wait!” Carlos breathed heavily, memories slotting into places that _didn’t make sense_.

“Carlos? Dude, we need to vote to get out of here.”

“Don’t you—remember this?”

“Uh, no? This is the first time-”

“J-Junpei? Carlos?” They turned, finding Akane standing in the door. “What’s going on?”

“Carlos is claiming he remembers this which is _impossible_ -” Junpei cut off again, eyes growing wide as he watched Akane. “Oh. _Oh_.”

“Can someone explain what’s happening, please?” Carlos asked. And so Akane did. About SHIFTing, switching places with other selves, and memories being placed in the morphogenic field without them even realizing it. The more she talked, the more it sounded familiar and it was only then that Carlos realized _they’d already had this conversation_.

_ A dice roll. _

_ Opening the freezer door. _

_ Choosing the poison _ .

Memories flashed, so quick and unexpected Carlos stumbled to the side. Akane and Junpei wavered a little, but only looked grimly unsurprised.

“That-”

“Would be memories of other timelines.” Akane paled, and Carlos wondered if she’d just remembered the same flash of _knife, fork and body_ as him. “I had a theory, a long time ago, but I never did manage to confirm it. It seems like when a lot of espers are together, the strongest one absorbs everyone else's powers. But I know that two espers can get stronger by SHIFTing together.”

“What are you saying?”

“I think it depends on whether the espers are working together or not. If yes, then they can all boost each other. Like, the more they resonate the stronger the powers. If not, then the stronger resonance over powers the weaker ones.”

“Wait, that’s great and all, but what do we do? Play the Ambidex Game?” Akane shook her head, headed over and pressing several buttons on the control panel. Lights began flashing, the alarm sounding above them.

Because of course Akane’s solution was to blow them up.

“Akane?!” Junpei, at least, seemed just as worried as Carlos felt. “What, exactly is the plan?”

“We SHIFT. If all three of us do it together, we should be able to make it.”

“Okay,” Carlos said, trying to push his doubt down. He’d done it before, he could do it again. “To where? Or, when, I guess.”

“I-uh, I don’t know?” She shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

“Akane!”

“What?!” She pouted, looking defensive. “If the risk isn’t real, it won’t work.”

“Shit.” Carlos dragged a hand through his hair, but turned to Junpei as soon as he started talking.

“Okay, listen. Jump to the history where we lost the dice roll.”

“ _What_?!” The history where they were gunned down. That history?

“Just to do it!”

Akane shook her head, clearly as confused as him, but Carlos reached inside himself, searching for that tug sitting at the bottom of his stomach-

* * *

≪≪

## C-Team Anthropic Principle (2): Rec Room, ’02:40’

None of the dice showed a one.

They had only a minute of terror-

_ Power Room, the Ambidex Game, Akane and Junpei’s crazy orders _ .

Memories slotted in, just in time for Junpei’s shouted orders to register.

Kneeling above Akane’s form, though, made him question the level of trust he had in these two.

Actually, considering everything they’d gone through, innumerable deaths included, it didn’t surprise him he’d put his life in their hands. Carlos trusted Junpei’s hare brained scheme to work. Even though Akane’s terrible sobs gutted him, pulling his heart out and leaving it on the floor of the Rec Room.

He didn’t have time to consider it though, because all he could do was share a determined nod with Junpei and reach _down_ , pulling on the knowledge that he had to do this to live, to help Junpei and Akane, he had to go _now_ -

* * *

≪≪

## C-Team Anthropic Principle (3): Rec Room, ’02:50’

Carlos settled in the Lounge, relieved they’d survived-

_ Dice, Power Room, SHIFTing, death in order to survive _ .

Carlos didn’t stumble this time, just swallowed down his continuous shock. He could apparently change timelines. He wondered if he could save his parents, or his old teammate, even his uncle who’d died in that taxi crash over a decade ago.

“Carlos?” He shared a look with Junpei, relaxing as they both realized the other had indeed jumped. Carlos couldn’t do anything to stop him from meeting these two, he thought.

Not to mention paradoxes. Oh God, he was officially in one of those crappy time travel movies, wasn’t he?

They turned to Akane, wondering if she’d made the jump with them. She blinked a single time before stepping forward and slapping Junpei across the cheek.

Yep, she’d SHIFTed.

“How could you do that?!” She sobbed, shoulders shaking.

Carlos backed away, giving them their privacy. He focused on the board, examining the four dead and corresponding I-Passes instead.

Carlos had voted L-Team instead of following the note he’d written, and now three people were dead. (He never had asked Akane what she meant about Left way back during the vote.) Considering what he knew about SHIFTing now though, how many versions of him had voted? How many of them followed the note? Was there a world out there that everyone had survived?

Could Carlos go there, and force another version of himself to live with his choices? Did he have the right?

“Ready?” Carlos turned to Akane, smiling softly at the ring on her—right hand? He lifted a brow, Akane just giggling while Junpei grew abruptly redder. For now, Carlos let it go. He could ask them about it after they’d escaped.

The first four passwords—TWO-KILL-FOOL-FATE—were entered easily. Akane offered the last two—the ones that had followed Carlos and Junpei’s deaths, and wow that would take some getting used to—without prompting.

“SAVE and DOLL.” Junpei smacked his face, muttering something about never living it down. Carlos disregarded him in favour of typing in the passwords and hitting enter.

An error message flashed, the announcer crackling to life above them.

“I-Passes are set to their respective histories. Please only use I-Passes from this reality.” They all stumbled back from the door, despair tasting thick and heavy in their throats.

Junpei broke into laughter, harsh and bitter. “Of course. Not even our deaths can help us escape.” Carlos turned from him, unable to watch as he broke down from this, the phantom feeling of bullets piercing his skin dancing across his mind.

Something thumped across the room. Carlos spun around, finding Junpei crumbled against the wall. A blue and silver robot stalked across the room, backhanding Akane before turning to Carlos.

“Penalty. Penalty. You are charged with rule violation. Punishment to follow.”

Carlos backed up, desperate to keep the actual _robot_ out of his face. Akane and Junpei were both groaning on the ground, making it clear that it had superhuman strength.

It picked up speed, head lowered to charge into Carlos’s chest. If it hit him, there would be no way to survive. But he didn’t know how to get them all out of this if the I-Passes didn’t work from the other world. They had no way out here.

That he knew of.

But perhaps another him would have the answer but not the problem. He just had to find out.

Carlos reached in again, searching out that part of him that rippled with knowledge from other worlds. He pulled and-

* * *

Carlos blinked, the robot in front of him. But he knew, now, understood what Phi had explained to him. He didn’t consider the _other_ thing he found out, just dodged the robot, pulling Akane and Junpei to their feet as he raced from the room. Behind him, the robot crashed into the wall, everything flickering around them and soon replaced with the truth of the shelter. Akane gasped, but Carlos didn’t have time to explain.

They slid into the room with the transporter, Carlos shoving Akane and Junpei toward the input pods.

“Carlos, wh-”

“Do you trust me?” Akane looked taken aback, but nodded easily. Junpei followed her lead. “Then you need to get into the input pods. This is going to transport you to another history. I-” Carlos cut off as another voice spoke above him. A video from Zero.

“C-Team. You may want answers, at this point. _I_ cannot give them to you. At this moment, I am otherwise...occupied. But before you is the method to get the answers you seek. All you must do is go to the history where you died. I’ll answer your questions there.”

“Great,” Junpei spat. “Now we really need to get going.” As if to emphasize the point, there was a banging outside the locked door. Apparently the robot had finally followed.

“In, both of you.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be right behind, promise.” They were gone soon enough. Phi had warned Carlos against using the transporter back to back, claiming ‘dire consequences’. Carlos figured the circumstances demanded needs be met.

He set a destination and pulled the lever a second time, the transporter sparking dangerously. Junpei and Akane both tumbled out, leaving the three of them staring stupidly. Phi’s words finally registered. _Sends_ copies _to different histories_.

“Damnit, I don’t have time to explain.” Carlos pushed past the other two, input pod already closing as he slid in. Light flashed around him, a distorted feeling over taking him before the light blinded him.

* * *

## C-Team Apocalypse: Lounge, ‘?’

Akane listened to Zero—to _Brother_ —and felt rage and despair slowly bubbling up. She’d worked so hard, had trusted the vision she’d seen after she’d completed the Nonary Game a year earlier. She’d met up with Sigma and Phi, ready to stop Radical-6 and save six billion lives. Now, Brother told her Radical-6 was all to save humanity. (The board marked Left as dead, but he couldn’t be. It _didn’t make sense_.)

She knew what would end up happening now. Knew that she’d step through the door and be lifted into the future she’d seen a year ago. Knew she wouldn’t be able to tell Sigma what happened here for the sake of the mission. 

All because Brother had decided six billion was an acceptable trade for keeping humanity alive.

(Akane was familiar with the dilemma. She understood killing for the sake of survival. She’d done it for herself. The AB Project demanded she do it again, in forty-five years. Akane _hated_ herself for understanding what the monster before her was doing. There had to be another way. A third option that meant everyone could live.)

And then Brother told her that a snail had somehow led to everything. Had led to her parents’ deaths. Had led to the Nonary Games—all of them. Something in her disappeared, the last kernel of hope crushed.

She’d have to start the AB Project. She’d have to _die_. All so that another version of herself could succeed where she’d failed.

Carlos, of course, chose that moment to come running out of the transporter room.

“Guys, we have to run.” He grabbed them, pushing them towards where the Decontamination Room led to the lift. Above them, Brother chuckled.

“Remember: Vive Hodie. Until next time, Akane.” She burned, blood boiling at the familiar, _fond_ , way he said her name. As if he knew her.

She grabbed the clothes off the counter.

“Why are we rushing?” Carlos didn’t answer Junpei, just started the lift. As if to prove they’d escaped, the bracelets came off with a soft pop.

“Easier than aluminum foil,” she muttered, mind spinning with a hundred memories. Carlos eyed her strangely.

They reached the surface in time for the ground to shake under them, sending them all tumbling.

“What just happened?”

“The transporter,” Carlos explained, helping them all to their feet. Akane barely paid attention, the image of the shelter burned into her mind. She had a job to do, but even now her brain made the connection she didn’t want to see. “If you use it back to back it overheats. At least we got out, though. We’re safe.”

“No, we’re not.” They turned to her, looking puzzled. On her hand, her ring burned. She knew now why the vision of her future self had it on the right hand. “Radical-6 escaped. I need-” she pulled in a deep breath, steeling herself to the knowledge of what came next. “I need to start the AB Project.” Her throat burned, closing as she turned to Junpei. She barely choked out an apology as she stabbed him with the bracelet. The remaining drugs filled his system, causing him to collapse. He could have no memory beyond investigating Dcom.

She couldn’t explain to Carlos, couldn’t make him understand. She had to put things in place, had to make sure she was ready when twenty-two year old Sigma came back.

Akane finally knew what the writing on the wall meant.

_ ‘Brother illustrates fated hot war’ _

_ ‘Altruist heart beats for the world’ _

* * *

## Earth: 01/23/74

Junpei held Quark’s hand, pulling him along. The ship waited patiently, the little redhead lingering on the ramp until they climbed inside.

She’d promised he would see Akane again. After all these years, he’d finally get answers.

Sometimes he dreamed he’d given her his mother’s ring instead of just losing it. Sometimes he dreamed Akane had loved him enough to stop running. Lotus had once told him she wasn’t worth it if she couldn’t stand still enough to love him.

Lotus, as well as her children, were dead. Everyone Junpei had ever loved, except for Quark, was dead.

Except for Akane. This was his chance.

He climbed aboard the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that you know both the new anagrams, what do y'all think?  
> Next Chapter: Zero's identity revealed. Might update tonight, I might wait until I get a comment. Haven't decided yet :)


	7. Zero Sum Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I start my first day of my new job in like an hour, but I was just reading MidknightMasquerade's comment from last chapter and decided y'all deserved some answers.   
> Though the full explanation of how and why will have to wait, I'm afraid.

# Chapter 6: Zero Sum Game

≪≪

## C-Team Suspicion: Pantry, ’18:50’

Carlos reached for the knife.

Akane beat him to it. Before he could stop her, she reached forward, ripping a small chunk off with sharp, jerky movements. She stuck it into her mouth and swallowed it whole.

How she didn’t throw it up, he would never know.

The sob broke over next, great heaving gasps of air shaking her body. Carlos reached for her, tucking her against him and putting the body out of her sight. His gut wrenched with each desperate wail, her voice growing hoarse.

The delirium started five minutes later.

“Carlos? Where are we?”

“Wh-Akane. We’re in the Pantry. You know that.” He twisted, trying to see her face. He caught only the unhealthy flush before she over balanced, landing back in his lap.

“Is Junpei coming?” He worked past the lump in his throat, uncertain what was happening or how to precede. Maria would know the symptoms of poisons. She’d understand how to help.

“Junpei is close,” he finally settled on.

“Oh, oh good.” She settled down, but her breath came in shorter and shorter pants. “Junpei? Why is it so hot in here? Am I—am I back there?”

“Akane, it’s me. It’s Carlos. You’re in the Pantry.”

“No, no, _no!_ ” She pulled from him, kicking and screaming. She couldn’t keep her balance though, and knocked over boxes. “I won’t go in there, Hongou! I won’t. Let me _go_!” Akane’s sobs came anew, and no matter how Carlos tried to restrain her, she kicked him off, fighting weaker and weaker the longer she went.

“Akane, _please_.” Carlos choked back his own tears, reaching for her again. She slumped, leaving Carlos to push her hair from her sweaty forehead.

“I _don’t want to die_.” She sobbed into his shoulder. Carlos reached around her shoulders, setting his finger against her pulse. He found it easily, but the quick pace worried him.

“You’re okay, you’re okay.” Carlos rocked her, forcing himself to breathe around the fear curling in his chest. “Don’t worry Akane. You’re okay.”

“Please, Junpei don’t let me burn. I don’t want to die again. _Junpei_.” Pain made Carlos’s breath short, tears burning his throat. Junpei laid dead and cut around them, Akane sick and dying in his arms. They should be together, in these last moments. Not with him, who was little more than an interloper to their relationship.

“ _Please_.” Akane released one last plea.

Her shoulders stilled.

The door slid open.

## To be continued…

* * *

## L-Team Pop Off: Pod Room, ’00:10’

Eric wasn’t around when Mira woke up. Strange, but not enough to warrant worry. (She couldn’t remember the last thing that’d warranted worry.) Left didn’t mention it, so she didn’t bother either. They were trapped in the Pod Room, which was strange enough to begin with, but then they noticed the painting.

“Pretty.” She examined it clinically. A mushroom cloud billowed above a city, painting the sky a deep red, mixing with the gray and faint gold of the dust. At a closer look, cars were crashing in the street below, chaos all around. The whole thing seemed to be seen from a window.

“Yes. Almost a commentary on where the world is heading if the governments keep at it.” She turned fully to Left, eyebrows high. He shrugged, unconcerned that he was spouting off art commentary. They left the painting to actually try and find their way out of the room.

The puzzles, at least, were simple. They just involved rotating the room. As if it was completely normal. Neither Mira nor Left commented on it.

When the pods rolled out of the wall, Eric’s dead body apparent, Mira went curiously still. She’d been with him for so long, searching for that same feeling as her first. She’d been paying less attention to him during the game, too curious about Zero and the twists the game caused her stomach to make. Now though...

She examined Eric more closely. His eyes were wide, no strange smile to be seen. He’d clearly been strangled and his fingers—had blood under the nails. How interesting.

Left had stayed back, saying not a word the whole time. She met his eyes now as she turned from the body. He smirked at her, not a word said.

She didn’t know how she hadn’t seen it before. She waited for him to make the first move, expectant.

He pulled down the collar of his shirt, scratch marks still red and bleeding. It didn’t make a lot of sense though. Why make them so suspicious of him, why be so willing to answer her unspoken question if-

The answer came to her. “You’re not Zero.”

“No.”

“Who is?” His smirk widened, pearly white teeth bared. He pulled a digital key from his pocket slipping it into the door. It slid open.

“Why don’t you wait and see?”

The announcer came on, giving her everything she needed to walk out the 9 Door. Left stepped aside, offering her the exit.

“Or would you rather leave?” Without answers? As if.

She stepped towards him.

He reached towards her hand, using a tiny key to twist something on her watch.

“So you don’t get injected,” he explained. He pushed the button on the wall again, bringing out the rest of the pods.

And then they waited.

It didn’t take long for her to understand.

* * *

## S-Team Door of Truth: Locker Room, ’04:45’

They ended up locked in the Locker Room. Because of course they did. Not enough that Sigma was gone and still nowhere to be found. Not enough that Phi had Light with her whom, while intelligent, posed more of a nuisance than anything else.

Phi worked through the room quickly, all the way until they were standing before a yellow door with no idea of the password.

“How many digits?”

“Eight.” Light hummed, considering.

“A date, likely. Do we have a date of any importance?” Phi tried 12312028 but got nothing. She hissed a curse through clenched teeth, searching her mind for any hint, any clue.

It was likely Zero was actually Brother, considering something about _this_ Nonary Game led to Radical-6. But what dates could be important to Brother?

She concentrated, bringing up everything she knew of him.

_ A view out of a window, smoke rising in a red tinted mushroom cloud _ .

Phi gasped, reaching forward to the number pad. She knew when the explosions happened, when Free the Soul had officially won. She typed in the date—04132029—easily. The door slid open, revealing Mira and a blonde man-

“ _Dio_?!” He turned, confusion over taking his face.

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“Phi this is Left. Left, Phi.” Mira waved her hand, but she returned to pulling—

“Sigma.” His head was gone, but she knew the clothes, knew the build, knew those familiar arms. She’d transported into another timeline without him. She’d failed. Again.

Her body followed his. So did Light’s and Eric’s and Akane’s.

She’d failed.

And then Carlos burst through the door.

* * *

## C-Team Suspicion: Pantry, ’18:50’

Her shoulders stilled.

The door slid open.

_ The robot raced towards him, Akane and Junpei on the floor, SHIFTing, the timelines _ .

Carlos stumbled to his feet, swaying but pushing on. Another memory, this of a distant looking Akane mentioning aluminum foil when the watches came off. It took some searching and fiddling, but Carlos eventually hunted some down and slid it under his bracelet.

It popped off quietly.

Pocketing the watch in case he needed it, he started searching the building. He came out in S-Ward, strangely. He searched each room, looking for some way he could save Akane and Junpei of his timeline. But no matter how long he searched, nothing could give him an answer. When he returned to the Lounge, he saw a new door in the wall, open and waiting with voices drifting through.

He found himself among everyone. In some cases, considering the bodies on the floor—when had they moved Akane?—two copies of everyone. That... didn’t really make sense. Also, there was an extra.

“Okay, _someone_ explain what’s going on,” Alive Phi ordered. She did a very good job of not looking at her own headless body on the floor. She turned to the stranger. “You! Explain.”

“Hey, I don’t know what’s going on any more than the rest of you.” He turned to Carlos. “Those two came through a weird door, but how the hell are you here?”

“Removed the watch with aluminum foil. There’s plenty in the Pantry.”

“That _works_?” Phi demanded. She scowled. “Of course it does.”

“But, uh, how is it there are two Phis and Lights?”

“Came through the transporter.” She shrugged, glare still trained on the blonde guy he didn’t recognize. Left, maybe? “It’s the big ugly thing with the green pods. Can move a copy of you from timeline to timeline, just pull the lever. Don’t do it twice without dire consequences.” Her eyes narrowed further. “Isn’t that right, _Left_?”

“I still don’t have any fucking clue why you hate me so much. Have we met?” Carlos’s blood pumped, full knowledge of how to save Akane and Junpei now. He reached inward, looking for the feeling of SHIFTing-

Nothing happened.

_ “You need danger _ ,” Akane had said. Damnit, he couldn’t SHIFT until something nearly killed him.

“Do you think I’d believe that?!” Phi’s shout drew him back to the present. “Sigma is _dead_. Why don’t you tell me why? And don’t bullshit me. I know you have something to do with this.” Left sneered, but his face smoothed into a smirk the next instance. He gave a self-assured shrug. Mira, Carlos noted, didn’t seem surprised at all.

“Can you blame me for trying to keep tradition? There’s always at least one amnesiac.”

“ _Talk_.”

“I’m not Zero, so don’t get any ideas.” He brushed dust off from his red tailcoat. “You’re right, I am Left. Not the original, mind you. My namesake is very dead. But I am the first clone.” He sent a sad look at Akane’s body. “It’s too bad Akane’s dead. If she’d seen me, she might’ve known who I was. Or rather, who I’m based on. But first, I’ve been told there’s something else you all need to know. An explanation for how this,” he waved his hand at the gathered people, “is possible.” They followed him as he stepped out of the Pod Room into the S-Ward. Carlos had forgotten about that. With the press of something on his watch, the walls flickered and disappeared, turning white. “Congratulations. You’ve all been in the same ward this whole time.”

“Different times,” Phi muttered. “You’ve been keeping the clocks on different times, haven’t you?”

“Ding, ding! Now all you have to do is remember everything you learned.”

Carlos could barely follow what was happening. How Phi knew Left had something to do with the game, he had no idea. Though clearly Left knew Carlos could SHIFT. Could the others?

Light tilted his head, voice sure and heavy, breaking into the silence. “You were the young French boy from the first Nonary Game. You had the number two.” Left dipped into a bow.

“Correct, as always. That’s where I met Brother. I mean, he’s not my _real_ brother. But you know what I mean.” Carlos had no idea what he meant, but understanding dawned on Phi’s face and Mira looked as bland as always. Light looked satisfied for some reason.

“Tell me,” Phi demanded, stepping forward. “Tell me who Zero is.” Left grinned, spreading his arms wide as if showcasing his answer.

“Why, Phi, you know him very well. You met him decades ago, all the way on the moon. But you might know him by a different name, now. Maybe... Light Field?” 

A beat.

Another.

Light Field. _Zero_. 

Carlos whipped his head towards Light, mirroring Phi’s move.

“No...” As if to rub it in her face, Light nodded, pale eyes opening to stare blankly at her.

“I’m sorry, Phi. But this had to happen.”

“Why...?”

“My father taught me that some things have to be done. You’ll understand soon.”

He pressed a button on his watch, and Carlos had never been happier he’d taken off his. He watched Phi collapse, Light leaning over to inject her with a strange vial. Left turned to him.

“Now, what to do about you?” He hefted the shotgun, and Carlos knew without a doubt he’d die if he stayed here. He reached inside, pulling for that string to the world-

* * *

## Nevada Hospital: 02/02/29

Phi blinked open her eyes, hazy and displaced. White walls and ceilings, beeping machines. She’d ended up in a hospital. Somehow. She couldn’t remember anything past going to bed in Dcom.

A nurse came in to pull some bloodwork.

Phi had a bad feeling about it.

No one could tell her where Sigma was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	8. An Alien Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH WOW the response to Zero's reveal was just... amazing. Someone came and screamed into my Tumblr ask box and I was so happy? Confusion and a vague sense of "should've seen it" was what I was going for. I think I hit it? Tomorrow I'll put up the final chapter and epilogue, but for now, here you go. Not long, but should answer some questions.

# Chapter 7: An Alien Mind

≪≪

## S-Team Fire (3): Trash Disposal Room, ’00:40’

“Damnit, Light. Listen, do you want us both to live?” Sigma’s stomach dropped at the hesitation, but Light nodded eventually. He took it as a win. “Then you need to pull the trigger. The only chance of everyone getting out of here alive is if you shoot me.”

He shook his head, leg stepping back shakily. “I can’t kill you.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Damnit, Sigma. You don’t know that.” He met Phi’s eyes again, made sure to smile for her. The stupid little half smile half smirk he knew she hated.

It fell when Light stepped back from the gun, shaking his head resolutely.

“I’m sorry, Phi.”

“No. No!”

She dipped her head to Light, even though he couldn’t see it. “Thank you.”

“No!” Sigma strained against the holds, trying to reach her, trying to _stop this_. “Zero! Zero please!” Light’s breath hitched but Sigma couldn’t care, couldn’t care that he was begging, that tears spilled down his eyes. Above him, the announcer rattled a death bell. “You can stop this, can’t you? Please, I don’t care about me. Just save Phi! _Save her_!” There was no answer.

“That’s all I wanted to hear from you, Sigma.” He turned, blinking his eyes clear so he could see her properly. Her shoulders were loose and easy, her eyes clear. As if it was okay that she was going to die. “Ever since Rhizome 9 you-” she cut off, shaking her head. She smiled, and Sigma hated her in that moment, _hated her_ , for giving him the smile she knew he loved, dimple and a little bit of teeth and her eyes scrunched closed. Sigma hated her for reminding him how much he loved her right before she burned to death. “Thank you, Sigma.”

She kept smiling.

And she said those three words he had never brought himself to say to her.

“I love you.”

And Phi burned.

Sigma couldn’t breathe through the sobs, couldn’t stand even after the chair let him go. Light reached for him, pulling him to his knees and letting him lean against his lithe body.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why? Why did you do it?!”

“Because some things needed to be done. You taught me that.” Confusion pierced the veil of misery. Sigma lifted his head, eyes settling on the gun Light held aloft. His eyes were wide blue and cloudy, but settled unnervingly on Sigma’s face. It reminded him, just a little, of Kyle’s suit. “I’m sorry, Father.”

Sigma, feeling like he’d just jumped from the moon, finally understood.

Kyle pulled the trigger.

* * *

## America: 2015

_ Kyle blinked, confused when he didn’t see Rhizome 9 above him. He, in fact, couldn’t see anything. _

_ “Wh-” He coughed, throat rough and burning. _

_ “Oh, Light. Don’t move. You’ve been in an accident.”  _ Light _? He knew that name. And the voice..._

_ “Clover?” _

_ “It’s me. Oh my God, Light, you  _ died _.” Her voice was young through the sobbing. And she thought-_

“I’m not sure a clone can SHIFT _,” his father had once said. “_ But we’re going to try _.” Kyle had been meant to go with Father and Phi to 2028. He didn’t know when he was, but he’d somehow ended up in Light Field’s body. He knew from Akane’s stories that Light was a strong receiver but-_

* * *

## America: 2029

_ Kyle couldn’t see. Everything was dark even when he opened his eyes. Why- _

Light _. He’d ended up in Light Field’s body. Had he jumped again?_

_ Somewhere in the background, someone talked. A newscast, perhaps. _

_ “The bombing of Pyongyang has escalated tensions to new levels, and threats of Nuclear War are flying.” _

_ Something whistled overhead, the ground shaking. Kyle could just make out the scent of fire before- _

* * *

## America: 2016

_ After what felt like years, Kyle finally stopped SHIFTing uncontrollably. He didn’t like what he’d seen—he chuckled at his pun, Father would be proud—but he had no idea what to do about it. In all of the timelines, he’d never found out who Brother was. Never found out what happened New Years of 2028. _

_ Clover called his name and Kyle returned to his new life. He loved having a sister. He wondered what it’d be like to have a little brother too. _

* * *

## Gigantic: 2018

_ The little boy spoke only French. Kyle had never been so glad he’d learn so many extra languages in his spare time. It would’ve been a disaster if someone couldn’t be understood. And Leon was a sweet boy, strange,  _ familiar, _nickname aside._

_ Kyle had learned all about the first two Nonary Games. Akane hated the stories—bad memories, she’d said—but she’d told them anyway. He knew what would happen. _

_ He didn’t dare tell little Akane about who he was. She wouldn’t understand yet. Wouldn’t for several more years. _

_ He managed to keep the strange robes Leon was so fond of. _

* * *

## France: 2019

_ Kyle’s parents had let him visit Left for the summer. They’d kept in touch after the game, and Kyle had started thinking of the other boy as a little brother. _

_ His body was found two days after Kyle went home. _

* * *

## America: 2022

_ He told his mother and Clover that he was going to college. He hated lying to them. But he’d finally understood why in all his SHIFTing he’d never found Brother. _

_ He founded Free the Soul that year. _

_ Kyle understood now, why Akane had been so intent on taking the AB Project to its end. He kept dreaming of that world, the one he’d found without Radical-6. It all died. Father had always been so clear that humanity was to be saved. And if humanity died before the AB Project then... what about Kyle? _

_ He had to do this. _

* * *

## Nevada Bunker: 2025

_ Kyle started constructing the transporter. Years ago—or from now?—his father would’ve tried creating it so Kyle could be with him during Dcom. It never worked, not when it hadn’t existed in the past they were trying to reach. But here, now, it would be useful. And Kyle could remember the blueprints well enough. _

* * *

## Building Q: 2027

_ Kyle didn’t tell Akane who he was _ .

* * *

## Nevada: 12/15/28

_ He knew from his jumps who had to be in the shelter, but only now, after the most recent SHIFT, did he know why. _

_ A snail. How ironic that something so small would be the reason for everything. _

* * *

## Nevada Desert, Dcom: 12/25/28

_ He was there. Father was right there and smiling vaguely, the kind of smile someone gives the friend of a friend. And that was all Kyle was now. Akane greeted him, surprised and uncomfortable Light had shown up. No sign of the woman who had been his mother. _

_ A part of Kyle died inside to see his parents not recognize him. He wanted to shout, wanted to call for them. But this had to happen. Humanity  _ had to be _saved. Akane would understand. Father_ would _understand. They’d done the same thing, after all. Kyle had just followed in their footsteps, the same as they’d always wanted._

* * *

## L-Team Radical-6 (2): Biolab, ’19:45’

_ Mira wanted to talk to Zero. So be it. He stepped out of the control room. Either he or Left—a cold shadow to his real brother—had always remained awake to ensure the game continued. Kyle knew so much about this game from other timelines, but he had to be prepared. _

_ Mira didn’t seem surprised, but he knew who—what—she was. Surprise wasn’t something she knew how to express. He could use her, direct her to do something good with her talents. Free the Soul had enemies, and some of them had to disappear for the good of the world. _

_ This wouldn’t be the only timeline he recruited her in. _

* * *

## S-Team Fire (3): Trash Disposal Room, ’00:45’

Kyle knew what he had to do. Knew that the pieces were falling into place, that somewhere out there a timeline existed where the world was saved. But to do that, for that version of himself and the world to live, he had to kill his father here. A necessary evil to save the world.

In other timelines he’d already done this. In other timelines he’d done worse.

Even if it killed him to see his father so sad, a broken man without the woman he loved. Even if a part of him died as he pulled the trigger.

Kyle _would_ complete the Project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think, next time, the True Ending!


	9. Project SNAIL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Without further ado, I give you;   
> The True Ending.

# Chapter 8: Project SNAIL

≪≪

## C-Team Execution (4): Lounge, ‘13:27’

“Guys, we have three minutes until the voting deadline,” Junpei broke in. Akane jumped up, following when Junpei made his way to the terminal that’d been mentioned in the video.

“S-Team, right?” Before Carlos could touch the screen, Junpei put a hand on him. Turning, Carlos’s gut dropped at the considering face.

“We should vote L-Team.”

“ _What_?”

“Think about it, Carlos. If everyone got our note and listened to it, this could be our chance to get three I-Passes.”

“You mean our chance to _kill_ three people.”

“And if no one dies we’re going to be stuck in here forever!” Carlos leaned back from Junpei, something twisting and writhing inside of him. There had to be a way to get everyone out together, he would accept no other outcome.

Except if Junpei was right and six people _had_ to die, then that meant he would have to kill to get back to Maria. He couldn’t leave her all alone, not when she fought every day to get better. She deserved better. So did Akane and Junpei. Carlos liked them, thought they were good people. They didn’t deserve this. And there was no guarantee that the other teams had even seen his letter.

Akane remained quiet, staring at the screen blankly. Junpei had made his case. Carlos had a choice here. To turn on L-Team—and kill three people—or to vote S-Team and pray everyone obeyed the vote.

The choice felt so familiar, so-- _destined_. He didn’t hesitate.

Carlos hit S-Team.

Carlos couldn’t hear Junpei’s yelling, but it petered off into quiet grumbles quickly enough. Buzzing filled his head. He’d done the right thing. 

“Congratulations,” Zero said from the TV. “You did exactly as I asked. I think you deserve a reward, so your memories won’t be erased. Sleep well.”

Carlos wondered where his certainty came from.

* * *

## L-Team Execution (4): Lounge, ’13:27’

“So we vote C-Team, right?”

“Well,” Left tilted his palms side to side. “That’s one option.”

“You thought of it too, huh?” Mira felt grudging respect for Left. Not many would have considered all their choices when an easy out had just been presented to them.

“Explain, please?” Mira rolled her head towards Eric, wondering again if her instincts were right and he’d be what she was looking for.

“C-Team could be using this as a trap to kill us. Or, alternatively, say that the other two teams listen to the note. In that case, we could use this to our advantage and vote S-Team, same as C-Team, and get rid of them.”

“W-why would we do that?!”

“Are you an idiot?” Left sneered. “To get I-Passes to get out of here. What do you think happens if we do nothing and refuse to let anyone die?”

“We get stuck here,” Eric whispered. “Forever.”

“Yeah.” Mira nodded her head towards Left. “So, what do we vote for?”

Left stared at the screen for a moment, letting his eyes flicker to the boards by the 9 Door again. Mira considered him closely, watching as with a single flick of his finger he voted.

The screen flashed with ‘C-Team’.

“And so the decision is made.” Mira turned from Eric’s yelling watching Zero’s message to them. So they’d remember this.

How curious.

* * *

## S-Team Execution (4): Lounge, ’13:27’

“So who do we vote for?” Sigma finally asked. Phi watched him with calm eyes, before stepping out of the way and gesturing to the computer. It reminded him of the AB Games, all those times in all those histories.

“I’ll trust you to make that decision.” Light frowned at her words, but remained quiet.

Sigma didn’t trust Left, not when he knew he must be at fault for this game. But Akane... Akane would do whatever had to be done. She hated killing, hated death, but knew sometimes it was necessary. And if killing Left stopped the game...

Except killing Left meant killing Eric and Mira, and they were good people. Strange, admittedly, but good.

This was like the Ambidex Game all over again. Betray, or ally? Trust C-Team, or L-Team?

He knew, though, what had to be done.

He pressed L-Team.

He turned to Phi, watching those cool eyes. They held no judgement, and he couldn’t even be surprised at her following words.

“Elapsam semel occasionem non ipse potest Iuppiter reprehendere.” _Not even Jupiter can find a lost opportunity._ The words were a familiar cadence after all these years. _Except we can_ , Sigma thought, remembering a conversation he’d had with Phi during the first day of Dcom. _Jupiter can’t change the past, but we_ can. Sigma wondered how many times he’d lived through this very choice.

He fell asleep, trusting she’d be there when he woke up.

Phi always was. 

* * *

## C-Team First Come First Save: Decontamination Room, ‘18:10’

Carlos crashed to the floor, laying out with Junpei and Akane. They were trapped and had no directions to get out of the room. Great.

He thought back to what he’d already learned during the vote and, considering they seemed to have a lot of time on their hands, brought up something that might help them get out of here.

“Will you two tell me about your past?”

“What’s that Carlos?” Junpei tilted his head, smirking a little. “Are you interested in us?” Carlos rolled his eyes, even as his face heated up. He knew there was something between Junpei and Akane, but that didn’t change the fact they were both highly attractive people.

“I meant the Nonary Game. You’ve played before right? Tell me about it. It might give us some insight.” They shared a long look, but eventually Akane sighed and started. Junpei picked up where she left off.

Which is how Carlos found himself listening to the cliff notes version of their lives. It explained a lot about who they were to each other, actually.

“Wow.” His head fell back against the wall, considering. “That... no wonder you guys are so close. How’s your brother, Akane?”

“Good. He didn’t want to, but I told him to stay on the outside for this. I needed someone to keep Crash Keys running.”

Junpei cleared his throat softly. “I’m glad. But, ah... It’s why I came here. To find Akane.” They shared a soft look and Carlos turned to give them privacy.

Zero interrupted the moment with an ultimatum.

“We should push.” Junpei stood, but Carlos caught his arm and pulled him back to the ground.

“No.”

“Carlos!”

“No. We did not tie the votes just to turn on each other now.”

“Left could push the button,” Akane pointed out, but didn’t reach for the button either. Carlos didn’t know why she distrusted the stranger so much, but left it alone.

“Idiot! What happens when the others push.”

“Don’t make me sit on you.” Junpei looked confused at the admittedly strange threat, but Carlos stood by it. From the story he’d just heard, Junpei was a good guy. Akane might be willing to do some bad things for the sake of good people, but Junpei was kind. Or he had been, before a year of private investigations. Carlos knew he still had it in him, and if it took being sat on to bring that back out, so be it.

Turns out, he didn’t need to sit on him. They fell asleep before they found out the results.

* * *

## L-Team First Come First Save: Decontamination Room, ‘18:30’

They were trapped. Nothing new there. Eric had spent the entire time they were awake trying to get out. Left had taken one look at the welded door and sat down with Mira. Now, they shared a look of exasperation, Left’s significantly more disgusted.

It didn’t take long for it to become apparent why Zero had trapped them in a room with a button.

Mira remained on the floor, even as Eric began screaming.

“So are you going to kill the other six?” Left asked, cutting through the panic with easy calm and a strong sneer. “Think you can do it?”

“W-what, no, I don’t want...” Eric trailed off but wouldn’t look at the button.

“I say we just wait.” Left leaned back, arms crossed behind his head. “I doubt any of the others would push.”

And so they did.

* * *

## S-Team First Come First Save: Decontamination Room, ’18:45’

“Why’d you come here, Light?” Sigma rolled his head against the back wall, done with the silence they’d all been sitting in. Sigma didn’t expect much, perhaps just a few lines on his sister. He just wanted something to break up the monotony and the constant itch that he was forgetting something important.

“Because I had to,” Light answered quietly. Sigma considered him, long hair, open tie, rolled sleeves. The bags under his eyes and the droopy hang of his shoulders. Sigma hadn’t considered it before, but Light looked tired.

Guilt churned in his stomach. How stressed was he, searching for his missing sister?

“Don’t worry about me.” Light smiled a little, as if he could sense Sigma’s guilt. “I’m doing what has to be done, but I don’t mind. I like to think my father would be proud of me.”

“He would.” Sigma fell quiet again, thinking of his son. He wondered what Kyle would think of this game.

Zero spoke soon after, leaving Sigma twitching inside of his own skin, itching to protect Phi and Light but-

Phi refused to push. Light wanted nothing to do with it. Sigma didn’t know whether he trusted Left and Carlos that much, but he trusted Phi’s gut.

The button remained un-pushed.

* * *

## C-Team Force Quit: Lounge, ’00:10’

No one had died, which was good. But it did leave them all with nothing else to do. For lack of anything better, they all did another lap of the rooms. Again, they found nothing interesting except the ‘Force Quit Box’. Carlos hesitated over it, something tickling the back of his mind. A memory, close to the surface and-

_ Remember: Vive Hodie. The transporter, bodies everywhere, Left laughing, Light. _

Carlos gulped, everything burning through his mind, quick as a comet across the sky. If Light and Left had control of the game, then they probably had cameras everywhere. Not to mention the fact that Phi had said they’d all been awake at different times. Which meant Left and Light had allowed Gab to bring the messages. No wonder the dog was nowhere to be found until he was needed. Light had planned it that way.

“Carlos? You okay?” He nodded to Junpei, but when he turned he saw sweat glistening across his brow, pupils dilated. Akane looked equally upset.

“I think I might know the password.” He reached forward, glad their bodies hid the screen from any potential cameras. He typed, without hitting enter: ‘ _LightZero_ ’. Akane swallowed heavily, but Carlos was already deleting and typing in another code. Hopefully Light would just think they were struggling with remembering the password. ‘ _Trustme_ ’. He typed in the real code and finally hit enter, hoping that this box would be the way to get them out of here.

The box opened under ‘ _ViveHodie_ ’ but they ran into the next problem.

‘ _Who had the number two during the first Nonary Game?_ ’

“Is this... making us answer a series of questions?” Carlos shrugged at Junpei, watching Akane chew her lips. He tried typing in ‘Left’, but came up with an error message. Akane shook her head.

“There was a blonde, French boy with the number two. But he said-” She went pale, understanding dawning. “Light was the only one who could talk to him. He said that he went by ‘Gauche’. We just all called him G when he came up in conversation.”

“That’s... French for ‘left’ isn’t it?” Junpei asked. Carlos tried inputting it as well, but nothing came from it. They returned to sitting around the bar with nothing else to do, tension thrumming through them all.

“I’m starving,” Carlos finally announced, standing up. “There’s a Pantry on the map, right?”

“Um, yes?” Akane and Junpei shared a startled look. “Is this really the time to be eating?”

“When else am I going to do it? I could die in an hour, after all.” He went to the Pantry, fetching a thing of cold stir fry that had aluminum foil wrapped around the container. He’d brought three, just in case the others were hungry.

Carlos spilled them across the counter, pushing too hard toward Junpei.

Akane and Carlos went around the bar to help him clean up.

And if they casually slid pieces of aluminum under their bracelets and put them back on _after_ the drugs were injected, just in time to pretend to sleep when Light and Left came for them, then that would stay between them.

* * *

## L-Team Force Quit: Lounge, ’00:30’

They’d hung around, doing nothing since the announcer had told them no one had died. Eric and Left snarled at each other a little, but Mira found herself feeling detached from it all. More so than usual. Something just seemed like it wasn’t right.

She found the ‘Force Quit Box’ open, demanding another code.

“Check this out.” The boys surrounded her, reading the script from the screen. ‘ _Who had the number two during the first Nonary Game?_ ’ “What does that mean?”

“Oh.” She turned to find Left looking touched, his face soft. “He never told me—well.” Left swallowed, smirk coming back quickly. Mira filed away the previous face for consideration later. Left reached forward, typing a quick name into the box. ‘ _Leon_ ’.

“Wait, how did you know that?” Eric turned on him, quick as a snake as the box flashed another message, a curious question that Mira would very much like the answer to. ‘ _What is Zero’s name?_ ’ “You’re him, aren’t you?! You’re Zero!”

“No, I’m not.” Left sighed, pulling at his sleeves. “But I’m afraid we’ve run out of time, for now. The holy master calls, and so we obey. You’ll wake up soon, don’t worry.”

Everything went dark.

* * *

## S-Team Force Quit: Lounge, ’00:20’

They all stood around staring at the open ‘Force Quit Box’. Well, Light didn’t stare for obvious reasons. Phi kept muttering curses to herself, calling Zero an idiot because “if we knew that answer we wouldn’t be here”. Sigma couldn’t bring himself to laugh though. He knew the answer. He _knew_ he knew the answer. And yet it stayed away, dancing on the tip of his tongue like ash over a fire-

_ The incinerator, Phi’s last words, Light— _ Kyle _pointed the gun at his head_. Memories flitted in and clicked into place, sharp and barbed, digging into his heart because-

He pushed Phi behind him, backing away from Li—from _Kyle_.

* * *

## Final Decision: Lounge, ’00:30’

“So you remember.”

“What is-” Phi cut off, a ragged gasp choking her into silence. “ _Kyle_?” So she’d jumped from another timeline as well. She turned, reaching for one of the TVs and shot it toward the wall. It flicked and died, leaving them in a bland room. As if on cue, a door slid open and the other six stepped through. Left stepped forward, standing at Kyle’s side.

“Wait, what’s going on? Is Light really...?”

“Explain,” Sigma ordered quietly after Akane’s tentative question. Bile burned his throat, cutting off the words of welcome, of relief, he’d always expected to use when he finally saw his son again. He’d known Kyle would take over someone else’s body if he SHIFTed to 2028, but this he hadn’t anticipated. He never could have expected this. “Kyle how-” he couldn’t finish the question. Couldn’t ask how his son had become Zero.

“I had to.” Sigma closed his eyes, leaning back into the hand Phi placed on his shoulder. Akane had used the same justification time and time again. _Sigma_ had used that same justification. He’d never expected to hear it from his son. “Father, _please_ , you have to understand. When Clover went missing, Light was reaching out with his powers. I ended up resonating with him but I was never meant to SHIFT. I’m not really human.” Sigma knew. He’d done the research on it, after all. “I kept jumping without control and I saw what happens if Radical-6 doesn’t spread.”

“The religious fanatic destroys humanity.” Sigma cut a look at Akane, but her pale skin and shaking hands told the truth of her words. He didn’t know what timeline she’d found that in. Kyle was nodding.

“I can’t let humanity die. Father, you would never have let it die.” It’s why Sigma was here, now. To stop six billion deaths.

Six billion deaths that had meant humans had survived extinction. Were the innocent lives worth it?

“When I finally managed to stop SHIFTing, I knew what I had to do. I’d seen this Nonary Game, the same as you’d seen yours.” Zero the second, following in the footsteps of the first. Sigma felt sick.

“You killed six billion people,” Akane spat.

“Death is required for the survival of others. _You_ taught me that.” Sigma couldn’t listen to this anymore. Couldn’t stand here and realize that his son was the reason for all of it. The reason six billion people died (the reason humanity lived), the reason Sigma had spent his entire life researching on the moon, the reason he had never gotten a normal life. Because his _son_ -

Sigma lunged, reaching for the keypad. The four letters felt like a death kneel as he typed them into the ‘Force Quit Box’.

Kyle didn’t try stopping him.

The alarm started immediately.

“What did you do?” Phi demanded.

“You activated the self-destruct sequence.” Kyle shrugged helplessly. But he only hesitated a moment before he straightened, chin lifting and conviction hardening visibly. “You have one final decision.”

“If you think we’ll play your game...” Junpei snarled, taking a threatening step forward. Kyle didn’t waver.

“This shelter will be destroyed, with you in it, in ninety seconds. You can stay here and die, or you can SHIFT. The choice is yours.”

“Excuse you,” Mira waved a lazy hand. “I don’t know what shifting nonsense you’re all going on about, but Eric and I can’t do it.”

“Yeah, what she said.”

“Well,” Akane wavered before continuing. “With so many SHIFTers, you could probably achieve it, if you’re going with us.”

“But where would we even go?” Sigma considered Junpei’s words, realizing the truth of the matter.

“Somewhere where we all survived.” He met Phi’s eyes, the answer already on her lips.

“The world where we won the coin toss.”

“But can we do that?” Carlos demanded. “Just... send those people here, let them die in our place?”

“Would you rather die yourself?” Mira demanded.

“It’s settled. We SHIFT.” Sigma reached for Phi, pulling her against his side. No one, he noticed, looked to Kyle or Left. Sigma couldn’t bring himself to look into the stranger’s body that held his son. Instead, he reached down, the power leaping to his fingers easily, powered by espers on all sides-

* * *

## Payoff (2): Nevada Desert-Dcom, 12/31/28 12:05

Sigma picked himself up off the ground, groaning at the creaking in his bones. Around him, the other seven members of the Dcom experiment dusted themselves off, sand clinging to their clothes.

“What-”

_ The coin toss, the incinerator,  _ Kyle _._

Everyone turned to each other, checking silently that they’d all made the jump. Even Mira and Eric, though they stumbled apart, holding their heads. They’d gotten all their memories, Sigma figured.

“You-” Eric stared at Mira like he’d never seen her before. Sigma couldn’t focus on them though. Kyle stood before them all, Left at his side and Dcom behind him.

“Why?” Sigma finally asked, voice quiet and desperate. “Why would you do all this?”

“Because I had to. I couldn’t let humanity die.” Kyle hesitated, but forged on. “I couldn’t let _you_ die. I would never be born if you died. It’s what you would’ve done.”

“There’s another way,” Phi shot back. “There must be another way. We’ll find the terrorist. Put a stop to this _without_ sacrificing six billion people.” Sigma nodded his agreement, everyone echoing him. Kyle, strangely, smiled widely, Left looking satisfied at his side.

“And there’s the second reason.” They fell silent at Kyle’s response, confused and wary. “Humanity had to survive. I realized that Radical-6, while it did set up the AB Project and led to my birth, served another purpose. It _saved_ humanity. And when I realized that in all of my SHIFTing I never ran into Brother because _I_ was Brother... The pieces fell into place. Creating Free the Soul, using propaganda and guerilla tactics to build up a following and manipulate people into the same beliefs I knew Free the Soul stood for--it all followed. I even based some of it off of Lord Gordain’s cult, just like the Free the Soul I learned of. But all of it, every person dead and tool used, it was all a backup plan. Because I knew that the AB Project would succeed, which meant Radical-6 would be stopped. How then, could I set up the release of Radical-6 in such a way that you could stop it _and_ stop a religious fanatic that I had never identified?

“I thought of you, Father, and knew the answer: a project that culminated in a Nonary Game, teaching a group of espers how to control their powers and showing them of the threat to the world. From there, it was easy to introduce a belief of living through deadly trials into Free the Soul, participating myself as a guide and forcing myself into situations that would cause me to SHIFT. That was how I learned what to build in the shelter. That was how I knew to bring you all here.”

“So the snail story?” Akane asked. “It had nothing to do with anything?”

“It’s the one connection I found among all of you, except Sigma and Phi. The reason for all of this, for all of you being here.” Kyle’s pale, sightless eyes roved over the group. “I _had_ to complete Project SNAIL. Otherwise humanity would die.”

“Oh.” Phi stepped forward, face pinched. “‘ _When a curious hate oozes calamity_.’ An anagram, just as I thought. ‘ _What you choose can materialize us_.’ All of this, just to show that we had to choose to save the world again afterward.”

Kyle smiled, wide and heartfelt. “I’m glad I accomplished my goals.”

“But you killed all of us,” Carlos pointed out. “Several times. You can’t expect us to let you go.”

Akane and Sigma made no comment.

“I’ve done nothing more than what my parents taught me to.” Sigma flinched, heart beating wildly. Kyle looked crestfallen, but continued. “You’ve all killed in other timelines. You’ve done it to survive, or for gain. Do my crimes, done for the good of the world, count where yours don’t?” They all fell uneasily silent at that. Left reached into his back pocket, pulling out a familiar revolver and handing it to Kyle. Who tossed it to Sigma. “But, if you’re all so desperate for justice, I’ll give you a final decision.” Sigma picked up the gun. “Shoot. Or don’t.”

Kyle, his son, had just asked him to shoot.

The gun had bullets.

Kyle, his son who had caused everything wrong, stood before him facing judgement.

Kyle, who was a SHIFTer that belonged in the year 2074.

Kyle, who was surrounded by other espers.

Sigma took aim.

And pulled the trigger.


	10. For Want of a Snail

# Epilogue: For Want of a Snail

## Crash Keys HQ: April 13th, 2029

Sigma waited with Phi, head pressed against her hair where they laid on their bed.

It’d been months since Dcom. Since Sigma had shot a bullet over his son’s shoulder, triggering Kyle to SHIFT and replace Light—the real one—in his body. Months since they’d unfrozen Alice and Clover, no longer needed. Months since Left had disappeared with Mira, leaving only a pile of notes, what little Kyle had on the terrorist. Months since Carlos had joined Crash Keys, his newly awoken sister following in his steps. Months since Eric had committed suicide in a mental hospital.

Months since Sigma had kissed Phi, no longer able to wait, not with the memory of the incinerator so fresh.

And now here they were, waiting for future Akane to send them back to the moon.

“At least other us will get a full life.”

A cold comfort, after everything they’d done. Sigma knew it was selfish, knew it went against the plan, but he wanted to stay. Wanted to get to live through a normal life, hunting a terrorist set on human extinction aside.

He didn’t get the choice though.

“I don’t think,” Phi said quietly, murmuring into Sigma’s bare shoulder, “That I’ve ever wanted to kill a snail so much.” It startled a laugh out of him.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty evil snail.” He ran a hand down her back as they fell silent again, waiting.

And waiting.

They waited so long, in fact, that the sunset.

They shared a look, getting dressed, and searching out Akane.

If they hadn’t SHIFTed back to the moon, that left only one possibility.

The dead didn’t SHIFT, after all.

## The end… or is it?

## Unknown Location and Date

“So the visions were real.”

“Yes.”

“Who-?”

“God. God has spoken to us, has given his orders. Will you accept your holy mission?”

“Yes. What do I need to do?”

“Just as the visions showed. They are God’s will and so they must be done.”

“Then let’s get started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it, folks! I... can't believe we're here? Like, I always struggle with finishing fics but when I started writing this one it was like I couldn't stop. I think I wrote the whole thing in two weeks.   
> I didn't expect much traffic on this story. It's a small fandom and I know that not a lot of people are willing to look at that Phi/Sigma tag and keep going. But for all of those here, who read this, thank you. Your support means the world to me. A huge thank you goes to everyone who commented, you really made it worthwhile. And a specific shoutout to bookworm2692 and MidknightMasquerade. You both have left such huge, in-depth comments that really made my day. I love talking to both of you so much.  
> There is a sequel planned and in the works! I'm starting a new job and still house hunting so I don't know when I'll start posting it, but I've turned this work into a series. Just subscribe to the series and you'll know when the sequel, titled In Spite of a Snail, goes up.   
> I know there are some little curiosities that were never explained, so I'm planning to put up bonus content on my Tumblr that answers a lot of the questions. If you send me asks, or even just leave questions in the comment section here, I'll be sure to address them in the next couple of days!  
> Finally, please let me know what you think! Now that it's all said and done, does it make sense? Was Kyle justified? Was this ending more satisfying than ZTD? I'm super curious about how everyone will take this.   
> Thank you all so much for the support and love, I'll work hard on the sequel to get it up!

**Author's Note:**

> Come shout at me at  
> https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/kilannad  
> or  
> https://twitter.com/moonlitdrake  
> I feed off of comments


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